Hyperkalemia and Heart Failure: A vClinic.org Mastery Assessment Program

Nephrology
Curriculum:
Hyperkalemia and Health Outcomes
Credits:
1 ANCC Contact Hours 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)
Launch Date:
March 29, 2016
Expiration Date:
The accreditation for this activity has expired.

Primary Audience:

Physicians, PAs, NPs, and Nurses and other healthcare professionals specializing in nephrology/cardiology/internal medicine/family practice involved in the treatment of hyperkalemia and heart failure.

Relevant Terms:

Hyperkalemia, Heart Failure, Chronic Kidney Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, CVD

Barry Greenberg, MD

Barry Greenberg, MD
Distinguished Professor of Medicine Director
Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program
Department of Medicine/Cardiology
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA

Dr. Greenberg, director of the Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program, is a leading cardiologist specializing in heart failure. He is a founding member and past president of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). He has been consistently selected as one of the "Best Doctors in America" since 1995.
 
Dr. Greenberg has been working in cardiology since 1971, including positions at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Oregon Health Sciences University, Royal Postgraduate Medical College, Hammersmith Hospital in London, and College de France in Paris.
 
Dr. Greenberg has been at UC San Diego since 1995, and is currently Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Director, Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program at UC San Diego.
 
In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Greenberg leads an active research program investigating basic mechanisms involved in heart failure and the development of new drugs and strategies to treat patients with this condition. He serves on the editorial boards of numerous cardiology journals and is an associate editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
 
Dr. Greenberg considers it a great privilege to get to know and help his patients and their families.
1. Discuss the causes and clinical consequences of hyperkalemia for patients with chronic cardiorenal disease and specifically in patients with heart failure
2. Communicate the clinical trial data regarding the use of RAAS inhibitors and potassium binders in the management of co-morbid heart failure and hyperkalemia
3. Apply knowledge of current hyperkalemia treatment options to real-world case scenarios
4. Understand how to effectively prevent and manage serum potassium levels through the use of current and investigational agents in combination with serial monitoring of potassium levels

Statement of Need/Program Overview
Recurrent hyperkalemia represents a direct and indirect risk by hampering the ability of physicians to maintain RAASi therapy in appropriate patients. Newly approved and emerging potassium binders offer the opportunity to manage recurrent hyperkalemia while maximizing the use of guideline-mandated RAASi therapies proven to help patients with heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic cardiorenal disease. The Hyperkalemia and Healthcare Outcomes curriculum was designed to help physicians rapidly transform this new knowledge into meaningful actions and improved outcomes for their patients.
 
Learning Goal/Purpose
This self-assessment is designed to assist learners in reviewing key aspects in the evidence- and guidelines-based diagnosis and treatment of patients with heart failure and hyperkalemia.
 
Educational Objectives
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:
  1. Discuss the causes and clinical consequences of hyperkalemia for patients with chronic cardiorenal disease and specifically in patients with heart failure.
  2. Communicate the clinical trial data regarding the use of RAAS inhibitors and potassium binders in the management of co-morbid heart failure and hyperkalemia. 
  3. Apply knowledge of current hyperkalemia treatment options to real-world case scenarios.
  4. Understand how to effectively prevent and manage serum potassium levels through the use of current and investigational agents in combination with serial monitoring of potassium levels.
 
Program Agenda
This self-assessment will review:
  • Causes and clinical consequences of hyperkalemia for patients with chronic cardiorenal disease and specifically in patients with heart failure
  • Clinical trial data regarding the use of RAAS inhibitors and potassium binders in the management of co-morbid heart failure and hyperkalemia
  • Common clinical scenarios in the management of co-morbid heart failure and hyperkalemia
Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint provider-ship of Medical Education Resources (MER) and Rearden CME. MER is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
 
Credit Designation
Medical Education Resources designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
Nursing Credit
Medical Education Resources is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
 
This CE activity provides 1 (one) contact hour of continuing nursing education.
 
Medical Education Resources is a provider of continuing nursing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 12299, for 1 (one) contact hour.
 
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Medical Education Resources ensures balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all our educational programs. In accordance with this policy, MER identifies conflicts of interest with its instructors, content managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of an activity. Conflicts are resolved by MER to ensure that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a continuing education activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. MER is committed to providing its learners with high-quality activities that promote improvements or quality in health care and not the business interest of a commercial interest.
 
The faculty reported the following financial relationships with commercial interests whose products or services may be mentioned in this activity:
Dr. Barry Greenberg has participated in advisory boards and speaker's bureau for Relypsa, Inc. 
 
The content planners reported the following financial relationships with commercial interests whose products or services may be mentioned in this activity:
Julie Johnson, PharmD has no financial relationships to disclose
Planners at ReardenCME have no financial relationships to disclose 
 
Disclaimer
The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Education Resources, ReardenCME, and/or Relypsa. The authors have disclosed if there is any discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA in their presentations. The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of Medical Education Resources, ReardenCME, and/or Relypsa. Before prescribing any medicine, primary references and full prescribing information should be consulted. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management.
 
This activity is jointly provided by Medical Education Resources (the learner may contact MER at 800-421-3756) and ReardenCME.
 
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Relypsa.
 
Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in and receiving credit for this activity. During the period March 2016 through March 2018, participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures, 2) study the educational activity, 3) complete the posttest by recording the best answer to each question in the answer key, and 4) complete the evaluation form in the activity.
 
A statement of credit will be issued only upon receipt of a completed activity evaluation and a completed posttest with a score of 65% or better. 
 
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