Free CME on Avoiding Opioid Abuse in Chronic Pain thru 6-25-10

Opioid Abuse: Avoiding a Critical Complication of Chronic Pain Management
Earn 1.5 credits
Objectives:

1.		Describe appropriate uses for opioid analgesics in the setting of rehabilitation medicine.
2.		Review the risks and benefits of opioids vs other medications (eg NSAIDs) for chronic pain management in patients undergoing rehabilitation.
3.		Recognize the public health consequences of prescription opioid diversion and abuse and their impact on the use of these agents for the treatment of patients with chronic pain.
4.		Identify emerging opioid formulations and combinations that have the potential to decrease the risks of diversion and abuse.
5.		Assess multifaceted interventions aimed at improving adherence to and decreasing the risk of abuse of opioid analgesics.

This activity is funded through an educational grant from King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Manage my Practice: Resource for Office Management

Manage my Practice Information and Resources for the Medical Practice Manager

Mary Pat Whaley has created a resource using her expertise in Physician Office Practice. Lots of useful links for your office staff including:

Question of the Day

Library
Articles about coding, compliance, billing, human resources, finances, marketing and information technology.

Dictionary of medical practice terms

Vendors from payroll companies to transcription to web design for medical offices

Skyscape CME Stat

Skyscape CME Stat

Skyscape CME STAT offers you an easy, convenient, flexible way to fulfill your Continuing Medical Education requirements for free.

With CME STAT, you will receive CME activities on any platform - mobile device, PDA, Smartphone, laptop, tablet or desktop PC - every time you synchronize with Skyscape. You decide which activities to complete and when and where to do them.

Activities include topical articles written by renowned experts in the field; news briefs and published journal articles; and reports from conferences and medical meetings.

Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule 2010

Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule 2010

Current guidelines for childhood immunizations via the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Free CME on Treating MS in Primary Care thru 5/26/11

Recognizing and Treating Multiple Sclerosis in the Primary Care Setting

Learning Objectives

•	Evaluate proposed etiologies and pathogenetic processes in MS in order to appropriately counsel patients and to form the basis of an understanding of drug mechanisms of action in MS.
•	Diagnose and classify MS in patients with neurologic symptoms, using clinical, radiologic, and other tools, in accordance with the revised McDonald Criteria.
•	Implement treatment early, including in patients with high-risk clinically isolated syndrome, in accordance with current data and FDA-approved indications, to prevent or delay conversion to clinically definite MS.
•	Formulate strategies for treatment of MS using currently available and emerging therapies to prevent relapse and progression of disability.
•	Integrate monitoring into the ongoing management of MS in order to assess and then ensure treatment response, adherence, toleration of therapy, and control of MS symptoms.

2.5 hrs

Free CME on PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury thru 3-10-12

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury

Humana Military Healthcare Services is pleased to sponsor two new continuing medical education topics for physicians, covering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Civilian providers are not well versed in diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and TBI, but these diseases are prevalent in civilian populations and are of increasing importance as active duty, reserve, and guard troops return from war with these problems, which may go undetected.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Objective #1: Describe the signs and symptoms of TBI and PTSD. Outcome: Diagnose TBI and PTSD or a combination of both disorders.

Objective #2: Identify the physiological and psychological processes associated with TBI and PTSD. Outcome: Diagnose, treat, or prevent the physiological and psychological conditions associated with TBI and PTSD.

Objective #3: Discover the most effective interventions/treatment options for TBI and PTSD. Outcome: Prepare and implement the most appropriate TBI and PTSD treatment plan based on the evidence-based information.

Free CME on Helping Obese Patients in Clinical Practice

Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity is offering 1.0 credit hours on helping obese patients in clinical practice.

Weight Bias in Clinical Settings: Improving Health Care Delivery for Obese Patients

Research shows that weight stigma in health care settings has a significant negative impact on obese patients’ health. Recognizing that providers face complex challenges in treating their obese patients, this course is designed to help clinicians improve delivery of care for this growing patient population. This course aims to increase awareness of the sources of weight bias in health care and provides a range of practical strategies to optimize the health care experience for overweight and obese patients.

Also available:
Toolkit for Helping Obese Patients
AMA's Primer for Physicians on Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity

Handouts:

• Promoting a Positive Office Environment for Obese Patients
• Checklist for Assessing the Office Environment
• Motivational Interviewing Strategies
• Motivational Interview Example Scripts
• Assessing Weight Bias with Validated Measures
• Pediatricians: How to Talk to Parents

Free CME From Cleveland Clinic on Patient Safety in OR

5Earn free CME by reading Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine articles.



Online Review - Temperature Monitoring and Perioperative Thermoregulation
thru 8/12/10

Online Review - Prevention and Treatment of Perioperative Hypothermia
thru 7/15/10

Video on Preventing Operating Room Fires

The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation offers a free 18-minute video, Prevention and Management of Operating Room Fires, on its Web site. The video promotes best practices regarding the prevention of fires in the operating room (OR), including controlling oxygen concentration levels at or near the surgical site, and extrapolates OR fire statistics based in part on analysis of events reported to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.

Featured Library Book: Clinically Oriented Anatomy

Clinically Oriented Anatomy by Keith Moore(2010) , Sixth Edition, provides clinically oriented anatomical information for study and practice. Comprehensive coverage of anatomy, presented as it relates to the practice of medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy.

The Sixth Edition features a modified interior design with new and improved artwork that further enhances the user-friendliness of the text. The clinical Blue Boxes are now grouped to reduce interruption of text and are categorized with icons to promote easier comprehension of clinical information. The Bottom Line summaries have been refined to clearly call out key points for quick study.

Look for this book in the quick reference section by the animal crackers at QM23.2 .M78 2010. The earlier edition is available to be checked out of the library, on the shelves at QS 4 M822c 1999.

New England Journal of Medicine Online

Did you know that the Library has the New England Journal of Medicine online? It's available from any networked pc at the hospital, and once you go to the site, it should log you in automatically.

Drug Error Finder Tool from the USP

Drug Error Finder Tool from the USP

Search for drugs involved in medication errors. Select a drug name and instantaneously a list of drugs confused with your entry will appear. Smart tags are incorporated into the Error Categories on the grid below, using the NCC MERP* Category Index (A–I), and marked with an x to indicate the severity attributed to the error. Learn more about the Drug Error Finder Tool.

Disclaimer: The information provided is based solely on medication errors reported to USP from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2006. It is not necessarily a complete list of all look–alike and/or sound–alike errors that may occur, nor is it intended to substitute for the judgment of the health care professional or patient.

Free CME from Oncology STAT

CME from Oncology STAT

OncologySTAT's mission is to promote state-of-the-art cancer care by providing oncology professionals with online access to the highest-quality news, expert opinion, and clinical information. A product of Elsevier publishers.

OncologySTAT is commercially supported by online advertising, sponsorship, and educational grants. Individual access to OncologySTAT is free. Premium content is available to any user who registers with the site.

Selected Topics:

Evolving Therapeutic Concepts in Multiple Myeloma

Key Advances in the Management of Lung Cancer

Key Controversies in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: Resources and Free CME

Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: Clinical Quick Reference Guide

Free pdf of a guide for helping patients quit smoking from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Office of the Surgeon General
You Can Quit Smoking Now! Resources for clinicians and patients.

Free CME on Tobacco Use and Dependence

Earn CME from Medscape. Registration is required. Thru 1/26/11
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the rationale for treating tobacco dependence
2. Explain why tobacco dependence is a chronic disease
3. Initiate clinical interventions for tobacco users who are willing to quit as well as users who are not willing to make a quit attempt
4. Assist users attempting to quit with strategies designed to prevent relapse
5. Implement appropriate strategies to assist special populations of smokers

Free CME on ADHD in Adolescents and Adults thru 12-10-10

ADHD in Adolescents and Adults
After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

• Recognize the symptoms of ADHD and diagnose the disorder in older adolescents and adults.
• Select and titrate pharmacologic treatments that affect symptomatic behavior and improve the functioning of your patients with ADHD.
• Employ strategies to encourage patient adherence to treatment.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from

administered by Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

Free Patient Safety CME from AHRQ Web M&M for June

AHRQ Web M&M: Fatal Error in Neonates
Objectives:

• Describe the just culture approach to investigating errors in health care.
• Analyze system contributions to errors in care.
• Identify best sources of information for designing a response to an error.
• Distinguish accountability for failure and learning from failure.

Free Advocacy Services for Patients with Addictions

Free Services for Patients Who Need Addiction Tx
ACCESS Family Advocacy for Addiction Treatment provides free advocacy services for individuals and family members experiencing difficulties accessing chemical dependency treatment. The program addresses barriers such as cost and insurance.

Simply stated, ACCESS helps to connect Pennsylvanians in need of D&A treatment with resources necessary to access appropriate treatment in their own county or region. Learn more at www.access-treatment.org.

Free ePrescribing Risk Management CME thru 4/12/11

Legal Advisor: Boundary Violations

The Massachusetts Medical Society is offering 1 hour of risk management CME onBoundary Violations thru April 12th, 2011 for $20(nonmembers).

• Define the term "boundary violation" and the wide spectrum of issues it encompasses.
• Identify the most common “boundary violations” as reported to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORM)
• Explore potential “boundary violation” issues utilizing case scenarios.
• Cite other common issues reported to Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORM).

Patient Safety CME on Opioid Prescribing thru July 2010

The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians in partnership with the PA Dept of Health are offering a free CME course that qualifies for Patient Safety credit:

Indentifying Drug Seekers Versus Relief Seekers

This presentation will help you to:

• Understand screening instruments and their application in primary care;

• Distinguish dependence from addiction;

• Identify the predictors of patients at risk for substance abuse.

This activity has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 2 Prescribed credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Of these credits, 1 conform to the AAFP criteria for evidence-based CME clinical content.

Free CME on Using EHR's to improve cardio care

The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians is offering a free webinar on using EHR's to improve CVD care, with CME credit available through 8/6/10.

Learning objectives:

Understand how outpatient electronic health records (EHRs) can be used to measure and improve quality of care;

Learn specific examples of how EHRs have been used to measure quality of care for cardiovascular disease;

Learn how practicing family physicians can use their EHR systems to improve management of cardiovascular diseases for their patients

Free CME on Long Term Safety of Biologics thru 7/31/10

Updates on Long Term Safety and Monitoring of Biologics

Goals:

• Assess long-term safety issues associated with biologic agents used to treat psoriasis
• Recognize changes and updates to safety information for biologic agents
• Formulate a plan for monitoring patients on biologic agents

Anatomy Atlases: Anatomical Variants

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation

A collection of variations curated by Ronald A. Bergman et al:

We believe that the use of the terms anomaly and abnormality convey an idea of pathology, something strange, probably never to be seen again, a true "lusus naturae" (sport of nature). Many or most variations are totally benign; some are errors of embryologic developmental timing or persistence of an embryologic condition. Some of these variations may seriously compromise parts of the muscular, vascular, nervous, skeletal and/or other organ systems; they are all fascinating because they teach us about our development, and something about our genetic heritage.

Free CME on Pain Management from Pain.Edu

PainEDU.org has developed a series of different courses for healthcare practitioners to enhance their pain management education. Interactive case-based learning modules address a range of topics in pain assessment and pain management. Articles and treatment recommendations explore a balanced approach to care with the patients who are prescribed opioids.

PainEDU.org is supported by Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Actavis Kadian, LLC. PainEDU is an educational website for clinicians, teaching about pain assessment and management.

Depression and Primary Care

The MacArthur Initiative on Depression and Primary Care

Goals

1. To develop practice systems that facilitate recognition and care of depression;
2. To develop educational programs and tools for primary care that enhance patient care;
3. To evaluate the impact of these programs, tools and models; and
4. To disseminate these ideas and materials to primary care clinicians, medical groups, specialty societies, health plans, and other organizations committed to high quality depression care.

Get Started

Downloads
Includes antidepressant info, toolkit, patient education, and education manuals.

OsteoEd: Osteoporosis Resources from the UofWA School of Medicine

OsteoEd
OsteoEd, is an educational website from the University of Washington School of Medicine. The site provides evidence-based information for students, residents, and primary care providers on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

OsteoEd Prediction Calculators

Practice Cases

• Screening & Evaluation
• Prevention
• Drug Therapy
• Secondary Osteoporosis
• Male Osteoporosis

Common Questions

Practice DXA's

Patient Education Resource: MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus is a resource for educating patients. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

Many resources are available in Spanish--just click the "Espagnol" button on the right. Some health topics have options for low vision, or easy to read versions.


Start here with 800 topics on conditions, diseases and wellness


About your prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbs and supplements


Includes pictures and diagrams


Spellings and definitions of medical words

Free Patient Safety CME on Preventing VTE thru 9/1/10

Preventing VTE in Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty Patients

Upon completion of this educational activity, the participant should be able to:
1.		Review guidelines, consensus standards, and requirements for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients.
2.		Evaluate how to apply the latest clinical practice guidelines on the prevention of VTE for patients who undergo THA and TKA.
3.		Assess the safety and efficacy of existing and emerging anticoagulants for the prevention of VTE.
4.		Discuss how emerging oral anticoagulants may impact the prevention of VTE in THA and TKA patients. This activity is supported through an educational grant from Ortho-McNeil Inc.

Free CME on Helping Patients Quit Smoking thru 6/22/11

Helping Patients Quit Smoking

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this program, participants should be able to:

• Review the physiological, behavioral, and genetic elements of tobacco addiction.
• Describe the adverse effects of smoking and nicotine, including related health risks.
• Identify new elements in the 2008 update to the US Public Health Service's national clinical practice guideline for smoking cessation. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence.
• Explain the role of pharmacotherapy in helping patients quit.
• Describe counseling strategies of physicians and other healthcare professional to promote quitting smoking in patients.

Free CME Series on Field Epidemiology

FOCUS on Field Epidemiology

The North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness is offering a series of free CME modules on outbreak investigations, laboratory diagnosis and methods, and public health surveillance.

Virtual Lipid Preceptorship: Free CME

Virtual Lipid Preceptorship

The Virtual Lipid Preceptorship (VLP) is a series of three continuous quality improvement modules offering free self-study CME activities for clinicians who wish to improve the quality of healthcare delivery to patients at risk for coronary heart disease.

Throughout these modules, CME participants will conduct simple exercises in their practice to:

• assess their current performance;
• identify opportunities for improvement; and
• implement quality improvement (PDCA) cycles.

The Virtual Lipid Preceptorship has been supported by unrestricted educational grants from Merck/Schering-Plough.

Free CME on Comparative Effectiveness thru 8/31/10

Comparative Effectiveness: The Impact on Managed Care and Outcomes

The National Association of Managed Care Physicians is offering free CME thru 8/31/10 on comparative effectiveness.

Goals:

• Define comparative effectiveness

• Identify the role of the AHRQ and the Institute of Medicine in determining comparative/clinical effectiveness

• Discuss how clinical effectiveness studies can be implemented and disseminated

• Recognize the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for priorities in clinical effectiveness reviews

• Describe the role of comparative effectiveness in managing a patient population

• Recognize appropriate stakeholders in comparative effectiveness research

• Interpret the impact of comparative effectiveness on managed care

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Genentech

Free CME on Treating OCD in Primary Care from Medscape

Best Practices for Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Primary Care Setting
Valid for credit through 08/24/2010



Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:


Describe the presentation, prevalence, natural history,

and diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder.


Identify treatment options for obsessive-compulsive disorder.


Credits Available
Physicians - maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Family Physicians - maximum of 0.25 AAFP Prescribed credit(s)

Free CME on ECT from Medscape thru 7/31/10

ECT Plus Antidepressant Study Challenges Current Practice
Valid for credit through 07/31/2010

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Describe the effect of concomitant treatment with nortriptyline or venlafaxine (vs placebo) during the course of electroconvulsive therapy on short-term efficacy, rate of relapse after electroconvulsive therapy, and adverse effects.

Compare the efficacy and safety of high-dose, right-sided unilateral electroconvulsive therapy vs those of moderate-dose bilateral electroconvulsive therapy.

Credits Available
Physicians - maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
Family Physicians - maximum of 0.25 AAFP Prescribed credit(s)

Free CME on Terrorism and Preparedness

Terrorism, Preparedness and Public Health
Earn 6.0 free credit hours.

After completing of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Describe the public health role in emergency response to a range of emergencies.
• Recognize unusual events that might indicate an emergency.
• Describe appropriate reactions to biological, chemical, and radiological events.
• Describe how the science of epidemiology is used in outbreak investigations.
• Defend the use of a predefined organizational structure (e.g., the Incident Command System) to assist in managing emergency events.

This course was created by Robert Wesphal, MD, MPH, Director of the University at Albany Center for Public Health Preparedness.

Free CME on Patient Records thru 5/1/11

Patient Records Legal Primer
Here's What You Need To Know About Keeping, Transferring, And Destroying Patient Records

After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

• Apply state and federal guidelines for releasing medical records to third parties
• Explain HIPAA's position on charging patients for copying medical records
• Create a written policy that covers medical record retention, disclosure, and security for their practice

Sponsored by

Free CME on Managing Risk in Patients with RA thru 4/29/11

Managing Risk in Patients with RA: Focus on Demyelinating Conditions

Earn 1.0 credit through the Cleveland Clinic.

On completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

1. Assess the risk for developing a demyelinating condition when a patient is receiving treatment for inflammatory arthritis.
2. Describe the presentation of demyelinating disease in a patient being treated for RA.
3. Discuss specific demyelinating disorders reported in patients receiving an immunosuppressant for inflammatory arthritis.

This activity is supported by an educational donation provided by Amgen.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Centocor Ortho Biotech Services.
This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Roche Laboratories, Inc.

Free CME on Helping Patients who Drink Too Much

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is offering Video Cases about helping patients who drink too much, with free CME through Medscape.

• Four interactive, 10-minute video cases
• Evidence-based clinical strategies
• Patients with different levels of severity and readiness to change
• Free CME/CE credits for physicians (AAFP approved) and nurses through Medscape®

PsychSolve: Mental Health Problem Solver from New Harbinger Press

PsychSolve is published by New Harbinger Press and is written by Jeffrey C. Wood, Psy.D.,a licensed psychologist and author of Getting Help.
Info is aimed at patients, with brief entries about diagnosis, cause, and treatment on topics such as:

1. Common problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, phobias, trauma, drug and alcohol problems, low self-esteem, and stress
2. Relationship problems
3. Eating disorders
4. Chronic pain issues