Reassessing The Stroke Prevention Paradigm

Statement of Need

Atrial fibrillation (AF) independently increases the risk of stroke by about 5-fold for patients of all age groups. Although there has recently been substantial improvement in stroke prevention, the new 2020 Impact Goals of the American Heart Association include a 20% reduction in deaths due to stroke by the year 2020. While clinicians generally recognize the role of AF in stroke risk, stroke prevention in this patient population is often hampered by a tendency to overestimate the risks and underestimate the efficacy of anticoagulant therapy for the prevention of stroke.

In this webinar series, a panel of 3 nationally recognized experts in cardiology and managed care will provide clinicians with their insights regarding stratification of stroke risk and the use of anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in AF patients. This case-based discussion will evaluate the risks and benefits of currently available anticoagulant therapies as well as important pharmacoeconomic considerations pertaining to anticoagulation therapy. Our panel of experts will be available for live interaction, allowing participants to pose questions and comments as they join this reassessment of the stroke prevention paradigm.

Target Audience

This activity is accredited for directors of managed care, primary care physicians, and other health care professionals who treat patients with atrial fibrillation.

Learning Objectives

After completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

• Utilize a risk versus benefit evaluation within clinical practice that will help clinicians to better identify and treat patients with AF who are high risks for stroke, and implement a safe, effective treatment strategy for all qualified patients
• Develop treatment strategies for patients, taking into consideration managed care implications for physicians and hospital systems
• Evaluate emerging agents for stroke prevention in AF, and determine how newly approved agents might be incorporated into clinical practice, utilizing effective methods of converting patients from older therapies to newer agents when available
• Employ long-term strategies for stroke prevention that take into account patient preferences and pharmacoeconomic realities

We encourage all participants to complete a pre-activity survey. Click here is to read the questions and submit your answers.

Method of Participation

This is a self-study activity; completion involves listening to the entire endured webinar, reviewing the reference slides, and completing the online posttest and evaluation form. The estimated time to complete this activity is 1 hour. There is no fee to participate in this activity. This activity is available from 9/27/2010 to 9/26/2011.

Click the icon to download the PowerPoint presentation that was referenced during the webinar.

Instructions on How to Receive Credit

To receive credit, participants must log onto http://www.tmecme.com/tclsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=l64K994 and complete the online posttest and evaluation.

A printable certificate will be available upon completion of the posttest and evaluation.

Accreditation and Designation

Physicians

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit

The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Michigan Medical School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 ^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistants

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)

AAPA accepts ^TM from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Nurse Practitioners

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)

AAPA accepts ^TM from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Nurse

TCL Institute, LLC is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15225, for 1.2 contact hours.

RNs outside of California must verify with their licensing agency for approval of this course.

Pharmacists

Purdue University College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This is a knowledge-based, continuing education activity of Purdue University, an equal access/equal opportunity institution.

Universal Activity Number (UAN): 0018-9999-10-148-H01-P, 1.0 contact hours (0.1 CEU).

Faculty

Mark Fendrick, MD

Professor of Internal Medicine

Professor of Health Management and Policy

School of Public Health

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

Christopher P. Cannon, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Harvard Medical School

Harvard University

Associate Physician, Division of Cardiology

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, MA

Eric C. Stecker, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Cardiovascular Medicine

Oregon Health and Science University

Portland, OR

Disclosures

In accordance with the ACCME, the University of Michigan Medical School and TCL Institute, LLC requires that any person who is in a position to control the content of a CME activity must disclose all relevant financial relationships they have with a commercial interest.

Dr. Fendrick reported that he is a consultant for Abbott Laboratories; ActiveHealth Management, Inc.; AstraZeneca; Avalere Health LLC; Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; GlaxoSmithKline; Hewitt Associates LLC; MedImpact HeathCare Systems, Inc.; Perrigo; Pfizer Inc.; The Regence Group; sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC; WebMD, LLC; and UCB Inc. He also reported that he is a speaker for Merck & Co., Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; and sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC and receives research support from Abbott Laboratories; AstraZeneca; Eli Lilly and Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Merck & Co., Inc.; Novartis Corporation; Pfizer Inc.; and sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.

Dr. Cannon reported that he receives research support from Accumetrics, Inc.; AstraZeneca; GlaxoSmithKline; InteKrin Therapeutics Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. He also reported that he serves as a member of the advisory board for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC; Novartis Corporation; and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and is a clinical advisor for Automedics Medical Systems.

Dr. Eric Stecker reported he is a consultant to AstraZeneca. He also reported that he received a one-time patent royalty from Medtronic, Inc.

The University of Michigan Medical School and TCL Institute, LLC staff that were involved in the development of this activity have no financial relationships with any commercial interests that are relevant to this activity.

Disclosure of Unlabeled or Investigational Drugs

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings. Further, attendees/participants should appraise the information presented critically and are encouraged to consult appropriate resources for any product or device mentioned in this program.

Disclaimer

The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Michigan Medical School, TCL institute, or Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation. This material is prepared based upon a review of multiple sources of information, but it is not exhaustive of the subject matter. Therefore, health care professionals and other individuals should review and consider other publications and materials on the subject matter before relying solely upon the information contained within this educational activity.

Support Statement

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation.

This activity is sponsored by the University of Michigan Medical School in partnership with TCL Institute, LLC.

Contact Us

For further information on the webinar, please contact Keli Rising at krising@hcplive.com