Caring for Patients with Obesity in a Managed Care Setting: Overcoming Barriers and Implementing Solutions


Expert Faculty
Jeffrey Dunn, PharmD, MBA
Chief Clinical Officer
Cooperative Benefits Group (CBG)

Click here for biography
Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA
Obesity Medicine Physician for Adults, Adolescents, and Children
Director of Equity, Endocrine Division, Massachusetts General Hospital
Director of Diversity, Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard

Click here for biography

Target Audience

Statement of Need/Program Overview

Between 1999 and 2018, the prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4% and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. Obesity disproportionately affects African Americans, Hispanic populations, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Despite well-described health consequences associated with obesity, most clinicians do not discuss weight control options with their patients and often lack training and education in obesity management. This activity will provide education on effective obesity management strategies that combine lifestyle modifications, behavioral counseling, pharmacotherapy, and use of devices and/or surgery that is needed for managed care professionals to administer appropriate health care benefits and manage plan patients with obesity effectively and safely.

Educational Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to demonstrate improved ability to:

  1. Explain the long-term impact of obesity on health and the benefit of early intervention on the economic and disease burden.
  2. Apply current practice guidelines for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of adults with obesity.
  3. Review the full spectrum of obesity care options and the benefit of early pharmacologic intervention to achieve and maintain clinically meaningful and long-term weight loss.
  4. Interpret barriers that undermine obesity disease management and address strategies to reduce reluctance to provide weight-loss related care to patients with obesity.
  5. Discuss barriers that impede obesity disease management including health disparities and COVID-19

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and Impact Education, LLC. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education
The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Nursing Education
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 0.5 contact hours.

Continuing Pharmacy Education

ACPE The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Pharmacists have up to 30 days to complete the evaluation and claim credit for participation so that information can be submitted to CPE Monitor as required.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires faculty, planners, and others in control of educational content to disclose all their financial relationships with ineligible companies. All identified conflicts of interest (COI) are thoroughly vetted and mitigated according to PIM policy. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high quality accredited continuing education activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of an ineligible company.

Name of Faculty or Presenter Reported Financial Relationship
Jeffrey Dunn, PharmD, MBA No financial interest/relationships relating to the topic of this activity
Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA Advisor Consultant: Novo Nordisk; Pfizer.

The PIM, AMCP, and Impact Education, LLC® planners and managers have nothing to disclose.

DISCLOSURE OF UNLABELED USE
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

DISCLAIMER
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. 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 and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

METHOD OF PARTICIPATION AND REQUEST FOR CREDIT
There are no fees for participating and receiving CME/CE credit for this activity. During the period of accreditation participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; 2) study the educational activity; 3) successfully complete the post-test with a score of 75% or better; 4) and complete the evaluation form. Upon completion of the full CME/CE activity, a certificate will be made available immediately to download and print.

For Pharmacists: Upon successfully completing the post-test with a score of 75% or better and the activity evaluation, you may immediately submit your CPE credit to the NABP CPE Monitor Service. This may require you to add or update the e-profile ID/date of birth information saved in your account. Credit must be uploaded to CPE Monitor within 30 days.

MEDIA
Internet

FEE INFORMATION
There is no fee for this educational activity.