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Program Overview:

An estimated 2 million cases of DVT occur annually in the United States, leading to approximately 600,000 cases of PE and more than 200,000 deaths. Despite its status as a relatively understated condition, VTE is the cause of more deaths each year in the United States than AIDS, breast cancer, and highway accidents combined. Despite the mortality risk associated with VTE and data indicating the benefits of prophylactic measures, evidence-based approaches for early detection and prevention of DVT and PE in at-risk patients remain underused. The burden of VTE is a growing concern across the healthcare continuum, as an increasing number of patients present with characteristics that raise VTE risk and complicate medication management, including older age, obesity, renal impairment, and malignancies. With the growing risk of VTE continuing to outpace the initiation of preventive measures, the American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Physicians developed guidelines in 2007 to assist primary care physicians in screening and diagnosis of lower extremity DVT and PE, emphasizing the importance of primary care physicians in overall VTE prevention and management as the frequent point of entry into the healthcare system. In that regard, this session is designed to educate primary care physicians and related healthcare professionals on “Best Practices” in VTE prevention, detection, and management.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Outline the incidence of VTE in the primary care setting, the frequent patient characteristics and comorbidities that increase VTE risk and complicate medication management, and the potential impact of more widespread risk stratification and prophylaxis on morbidity and mortality
• Implement the AAFP/ACP guidelines for screening, diagnosis, and management of DVT and PE in clinical practice and initiate evidence-based prophylactic measures to improve primary care patient outcomes

ACCME Accreditation/Designation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Primary Care Network and Princeton CME. Primary Care Network is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Primary Care Network designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ACPE Accreditation

Princeton CME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education (ACPE Provider #452) and complies with the Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines. This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hour s(0.125 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education (UPN 452-999-08-008-H01-P).

Any participant wanting to file a grievance with respect to any aspect of a continuing pharmacy education activity sponsored or cosponsored by Princeton CME may contact the Assistant Director of Continuing Education in writing. The Assistant Director of Continuing Education will review the grievance and respond within 30 days of receiving the written statement. If the participant is unsatisfied with the response, an appeal to the Director of Continuing Education may be made for a second level of review.

Target Audience:

This activity is targeted to all physicians and other healthcare professionals who treat patients with deep vein thromboembolism.

Release date: March 1, 2008
Expiration date: February 28, 2009
Estimated time to complete: 1 hour

Medium: Podcast

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support:

This activity is supported through an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S.

Jointly sponsored by Primary Care Network and Princeton CME

Method of Participation:

IIn order to receive CME credit for this activity, you need to review program.  Upon finishing the online CME, complete the post-test, evaluation, and fill out all required personal information. To receive your CME certificate you will need to pass the post-test with 70% accuracy or better.

There is no fee associated with this activity.

Post-test and Evaluation:

After completing this activity, click on the Post-test button at the end of the program. If you receive less than 70% on the post-test, you will be returned to the beginning of the activity to review the presentation again. Upon successful completion of the post-test, you will be asked to fill out a program evaluation form and prompted to print your CME certificate.

PCN Disclosure Policy:

It is the policy of Primary Care Network, Inc. to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its CME activities. All Primary Care Network staff, faculty, or any other individual who is in a position to control the content of the CME activities sponsored by PCN are required to disclose to the participants any real or apparent conflict of interest related to the activity. Primary Care Network’s resolution of conflict of interest policy aims to ensure that all financial relationships with any commercial interests do not bias the design and delivery of this continuing medical education activity.

Content Providers & Disclosures

Franklin A. Michota, MD
Head, Section of Hospital Medicine
Department of General Internal Medicine
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

Disclosures: Dr. Michota is on the advisory board with AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline plc, sanofi-aventis US LLC, Scios Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. He is on the speaker’s bureau with sanofi-aventis US LLC and Scios Inc.; is a consultant with sanofi-aventis US LLC, Scios Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; and has received research grants from sanofi-aventis US LLC, and Scios Inc.


Faculty & Disclosures

Arthur P. Wheeler, MD
Associate Professor
Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN

Disclosures: Dr. Wheeler is on the speaker’s bureau with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer Inc., and sanofi-aventis US LLC, is on the advisory board for Eli Lilly and Company, is a consultant with AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly Company, and sanofi-aventis US LLC, and has received research grants from GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novo Nordisk A/S, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. He is also a stock shareholder of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals.

Unlabeled Use Declaration:

During this activity, speakers may discuss an unlabeled use or an investigational use not approved for a commercial support. Each author is required to disclose this information to the participants when referring to an unlabeled or investigational use.

PCN Staff Disclosures:

The Employees of Primary Care Network have no financial relationships to disclose.

When finished, click here to take the Post-test
Take the post-test to receive your CME certificate