Source: AAFP News, May 6, 2022, copyright AAFP
More than two years after the Trump administration first declared a national emergency regarding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the virus and its variants continue to infect thousands of Americans each day.
To assist family physicians in the ongoing fight against long COVID, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) —courtesy of an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc. — has developed COVID-19: Managing Short- and Long-Term Effects on Patients and Communities, a free, blended continuing medical education (CME) activity open to both AAFP members and non-members, beginning with a one-hour live webinar on Wednesday, May 11, at 8 p.m. on the AAFP’s Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Following the live webinar, an online-only enduring course that will be available on Wednesday, May 25.
Program Details
The first segment in the course, the live webinar The Short- and Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 — Patient Perspectives will air from 8-9 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 11, and feature a panel moderated by Robert Dachs, MD, a clinical associate professor with the Ellis Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in Schenectady, NY. Dr. Dachs will be joined by Boris Shkolnik, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care physician in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY, and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Albany Medical College, as well as two patients who have experienced long COVID, to provide learners with additional insight. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the webinar and have them answered in real time.
- Recognize various clinical presentations of SARS CoV-2 infection
- Consider the patients’ perspectives of their experience with SARS-CoV-2 infection and their ongoing symptoms
- Incorporate known patient risk factors with current and evolving therapeutics.
The webinar will be recorded to be offered later as an enduring session.
The second component of the course will launch on Wednesday, May 25, with a recording of the Wednesday, May 11, webinar, along with an additional six-session video series. The content will be offered in sequence so learners can practice and confirm their knowledge before moving on to the next topic.
- COVID-19 – virology, pathophysiology, and patient presentation
- Management of patients with acute COVID-19
- Long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Determining which patients are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 disease and
- the role of the family physician in the public health response to a pandemic or public health emergency.
Individuals who complete the series will be able to:
- Recognize the SARS-CoV-2 infection lifecycle and the implications for relevant therapies
- Identify appropriate management strategies for patients experiencing short-term and potential long-term impacts of COVID-19
- Consider underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19
- Evaluate the risks of COVID-19 comorbidities and establish plans for early disease management
- Identify strategies to partner with patients and communities to reduce the impact of COVID-19 health care disparities for minority and disadvantaged patients while advocating for structural change
- Develop a structure to appropriately coordinate care for patients who have unmet medical needs in collaboration with other specialists to overcome barriers presented by COVID-19.
CME Credit
Those who attend the Wednesday, May 11, live webinar will be able to claim up to 1.0 Online AAFP Prescribed credit.
Those who complete the online sessions (available beginning Wednesday, May 25) will be able to claim up to 7.0 Online AAFP Prescribed credits.
To reinforce the key concepts in the webinar and the series, learners will also have the option to participate in an embedded translation-to-practice exercise, in which participants will reflect on what they have learned and create an action plan for implementing change in their practice. Individuals can earn up to 2.0 additional AAFP Prescribed credits for completing the exercise.
Visit the AAFP website for details!