Diabetes and the Heart 2012

Primary care providers are the front line for obesity management but lack of resources, insufficient knowledge about new tools and strategies for successful weight management, and until now, the absence of reimbursement policies that allow sustained ongoing support for weight management programs in primary care practice, made it difficult to provide this vital service.

The goal of this symposium is to help clinicians create effective obesity management programs that incorporate new CMS benefits for weight management, utilize in-office systems, and coordinate regional resources for their patients. You will learn which tools have proven successful for long-term weight management in clinical practice and how to use them, as well as how to develop a business model to ensure that your obesity management program is successful. 

Agenda*:

* subject to slight change

Target Audience
Primary care providers (MD, DO, NP, PA) and their clinical and office staff

Learning Objectives
Participants will be provided with clinically relevant, evidence-based information. Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the pathophysiologic interrelationships among obesity and other chronic illnesses including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, and cancer
• Discuss the metabolic and vascular benefits of, and indications for, weight reduction, particularly its role in prevention and management of several costly chronic problems
• Describe dietary and exercise interventions that lead to effective and safe weight reduction and how to apply them in clinical practice
• Describe strategies for cognitive-behavioral modifications and support to optimize lifestyle behavior modification that will result in weight loss
• Demonstrate the process of designing an office-based system to treat or coordinate referrals for obesity management
• Use effective tools for weight management in a structured format, including patient support and education, and proper logistical coordination to optimize access to care
• Demonstrate the ability to modify the use of antidiabetes medications and insulin to enhance weight reduction and avoid hypoglycemia in overweight and obese patients with diabetes

This activity has been designed to address and encourage the following ABMS/ACGME Competencies:

• Medical knowledge
• Patient care
• Systems-based practice

Accreditation and Designation of Credit
Joslin Diabetes Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Joslin Diabetes Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.^TM Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This CME activity was planned and produced in accordance with ACCME Essentials. Health professionals not eligible for continuing medical education credit will receive a certificate of participation that they may submit to their state licensing board for credit.

Course Director
Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, FACE
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Medical Director, Obesity Clinical Program
Joslin Diabetes Center
Boston, MA

(Additional faculty to be determined)

Fee
Registration fee is $395, and each registrant may bring up to 2 members of their practice FREE. You will be given the opportunity to add this option as you proceed through the main registration process.