Bridging the Gaps: Improving Access and Timely Diagnosis for Retinal Diseases

Learn About:

The role of payers in preventing blindness from DR/DME and AMD
Health care providers’ perspectives on current strategies and gaps in the prevention and treatment of vision loss due to DR/DME and AMD
Key challenges and barriers in the patient journey

Expert Faculty Presenters


	Ferhina S. Ali, MD, MPH, FASRS Vitreoretinal Physician and Surgeon Westchester Medical Center/Advanced Physician Services Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology New York Medical College Click here for biography

	Julie Grutzmacher, MSW, MPH Director, Patient Advocacy and Population Health Initiatives Prevent Blindness Click here for biography

	Steven S. Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP Principal Consultant Kheloussi Consulting, LLC Click here for biography

Target Audience
This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of managed care pharmacy directors, registered nurses, clinical pharmacists, quality directors and medical directors.

Statement of Need/Program Overview
This webcast will examine how payer policies shape the real world management of diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic macular edema (DME), and age related macular degeneration (AMD), highlighting health care provider insights on the systemic challenges that affect patient access, treatment consistency, and outcomes. Discussion will center on coverage related barriers across the patient journey, including prior authorization requirements, reimbursement constraints, and care coordination gaps that can delay or disrupt sight saving therapies. The expert faculty will outline where current prevention and treatment strategies fall short from the provider perspective and illustrate opportunities for payers to better align policies with clinical needs—ultimately strengthening care delivery, improving decision making at the point of service, and advancing system level approaches to prevent avoidable vision loss.

Educational Objectives
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

Describe key challenges and barriers in the patient journey related to health care delivery and insurance coverage for DR/DME and AMD
Explain health care providers’ perspectives on current strategies and gaps in the prevention and treatment of vision loss due to DR/DME and AMD
Illustrate the role of payers in preventing blindness from DR/DME and AMD, including their views on coverage policies, care coordination, and opportunities for system-level interventions

Accreditation Information

Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Medical Education Resources (MER) and Impact Education, LLC. MER 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
Medical Education Resources designates this live activity 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 Pharmacy Education
Medical Education Resources designates this live activity for 0.5 contact hours (0.05 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

UAN: JA0003680-9999-26-186-L01-P
Activity Type: Knowledge-based

Please note: 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.

Continuing Nursing Education
Medical Education Resources designates this live activity for a maximum of 0.5 ANCC nursing contact hours. Nurses will be awarded contact hours upon successful completion of the activity.

Medical Education Resources is a provider of continuing nursing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 12299, for 0.5 contact hours.

DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL INTEREST
Medical Education Resources ensures balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all our educational activities. In accordance with this policy, MER identifies all financial relationships with its instructors, content managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of an activity. Reported relevant financial relationships are mitigated by MER to ensure that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CE activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. MER is committed to providing learners with high-quality CE activities that promote improvements or quality in health care and not the business interest of an ineligible company. The authors reported the following financial relationships with ineligible companies whose products or services may be mentioned in this activity:

*Name of Working Group Members/Planners*	*Reported Financial Relationship*
Steven S. Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP	Nothing to disclose.
Ferhina S. Ali, MD, MPH, FASRS	Consulting Fees (ex. ad boards): 4DMT, Alkeus, Allergan, Apellis, Astellas, EyePoint, Genentech, OcuTerra, Optomed, Ocuphire, Ocular Theraputix, Orasis, Outlook Therapeutics, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Speakers’ Bureau: Apellis, Astellas
Julie Grutzmacher, MSW, MPH	Nothing to disclose.

The content managers reported the following financial relationships with ineligible companies whose products or services may be mentioned in this activity:

*Name of Content Managers*	*Reported Financial Relationship*
Impact Education, LLC	No financial relationships to disclose
Planners at Medical Education Resources	No financial relationships to disclose

DISCLAIMER
The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Education Resources, Impact Education, LLC, and/or Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The authors have disclosed if there is any discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA in their presentations. Before prescribing any medicine, primary references and full prescribing information should be consulted. 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 on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management.

FEE INFORMATION
There is no fee for this educational activity.