2027 ATSU-KCOM CME Alaska Cruise | Primary Care Update

ACTIVITY DETAILS

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

This activity will update physicians on the latest recommendations involving the medical subspecialties important for the primary care physician through a comprehensive activity consisting of lectures, group discussions and Q&A sessions focused on the primary care physicians identified professional practice gaps and our Annual ATSU Needs Assessment Survey.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

After this activity, attendees will be able to:

• Review and discuss current diagnostic and therapeutic options for common illnesses and injuries seen in primary care.

• Identify new evidence-based treatment using the most up to date clinical and scientific information which will lead to reduction in modifiable risk factors.

• Employ practice relevant new research to everyday patient encounters.

• Use osteopathic patient care competencies to develop and implement strategies that overcome patient and clinician barriers and improve patient health outcomes.

CORE COMPETENCIES

CME activities must address one or more of the AOA seven core competencies. The core competencies addressed by this activity are highlighted below:

• Osteopathic Principles and Practice
• Medical Knowledge and Its Application into Osteopathic Medical Practice
• Osteopathic Patient Care
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills in Osteopathic Medical Practice
• Professionalism in Osteopathic Medical Practice
• Osteopathic Medical Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
• System-Based Osteopathic Medical Practice

OSTEOPATHIC TENETS

• The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
• The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
• Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
• Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Physicians and other healthcare professionals who are interested in updating their knowledge of best treatment options and recently released clinical guidelines.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GAP

The demands placed on the primary care physician to treat multiple chronic conditions in their patients is ever increasing and the PCP’s do not have the knowledge or tools to confidently assess, diagnose, treat, and manage chronic conditions. With up to 50% of adults treated having at least one chronic health condition, and 28% have two or more chronic conditions it is difficult for physicians to stay-up to date regarding every aspect of their practice due to limited access to resources or often they encounter time restraints when trying to stay abreast of the newest clinical updates. Therefore, primary care healthcare professionals need evidence-based clinical updates.

EDUCATIONAL NEED

Primary care providers (PCPs) conduct most of the evidence-based disease prevention and screening within the current healthcare system. There remains a gap between the recommended preventive services and actual practice, as well as patient adherence to prescribed treatment. Currently, most chronic illness care takes place in primary care practices, which provides some disadvantages and serious limitations. This trend puts greater demands on the primary care professional to address the frontline needs of patients presenting with multiple chronic conditions. Additionally, people are increasingly living longer with multimorbidity. Of the 133 million patients with chronic diseases, 47% have more than one diagnosis. On average, PCPs manage 3.05 problems per visit and the number of problems has grown to 3.88 for people over the age of 65. A PCP handles multiple diseases and complications within a single office visit. This CME activity will provide an update about standards of care to reflect the most current evidence-based knowledge and guidelines to improve competence.

DESIRED OUTCOME

Learners require more up-to-date evidence-based information and better strategies to treat chronic conditions and diseases. This activity was designed to improve both knowledge and competence. Physicians and other healthcare attendees should have the ability to apply new knowledge and skills in practice to help implement better clinical decision-making strategies.