The Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA) has a new mobile app, available for free, that gives physicians that may prescribe controlled-substance access to opioid-related education.  The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation provided a grant to fund this new app.  This education is required by Indiana law - Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 225 which passed in 2018.

The educational requirement takes effect July 1. ISMA's web site notes that they are the largest physician organization in Indiana. 

The name of the app is ISMA Online.

Physicians’ Education Resource® to Present Two Satellite Symposia at the 2019 AUA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

The  two innovative live educational activities will be presented at McCormick Place West in Chicago, Illinois, on May 3 and 4, 2019 as part of the 2019 AUA Annual Meeting.

• Transforming Treatment Paradigms in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Understanding the Role of Risk Stratification and Emerging Data in the Adjuvant Setting, will be held as a breakfast symposium on Friday, May 3, from 8-9:30 a.m. in W375B on level 3. The program will be chaired by Robert A. Figlin, M.D., FACP, Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology, director of the division of hematology/oncology, deputy director of integrated oncology service line and a professor of medicine and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. During this program, a multidisciplinary panel of renowned experts in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will guide attendees through an in-depth, up-to-date review of risk assessment in the early-stage RCC setting; surgical standards-of-care and challenges; patient selection for adjuvant systemic therapy; evidence from clinical studies of adjuvant therapy for RCC; and overall multidisciplinary care planning. To register, click here.
• Bladder Cancer Working Group: Practical Application of Immunotherapeutic Strategies to Optimize Patient Outcomes, Next Steps to Move the Field Forward, will be held as a dinner symposium on Saturday, May 4, from 6-8 p.m. in W375A on level 3. The program will be chaired by Daniel P. Petrylak, M.D., professor of medicine and urology, co-director of the Signal Transduction Research Program, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine. During this program, a multidisciplinary faculty of renowned experts in urology, medical oncology and immunotherapy will review practice-changing data and discuss their impact on patient care. Brief didactic presentations will be followed by real-world clinical case presentations and discussions to facilitate interpretation and application of the evidence. The faculty will also share their forward-looking perspectives on the bladder cancer treatment horizon based on recently reported and anticipated clinical trial data. To register, click here.

MDMag covered the issue of patient sleep quality for overall health in a recent article. Paul P. Doghramji, MD, Karl Doghramji, MD, and David N. Neubauer, MD each questioned why patient sleep is not considered as a commonly-accepted measure of a patient’s health, similar to blood-pressure tests.  

"Studies have shown that at least 50% of all primary care patients experience insomnia at some point. Only 1 in 3 will present the issue to their doctor, Doghramji said, and just 1 in 20 will seek therapy for it."

The topic was discussed during a continuing medical education symposium supported by Eisai Inc and Imbrium Therapeutics during the 2019 American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Risk factors from sleep issues are distinguishable and the discussion should continue and perhaps help improve patient care. 

Join us on Facebook to share news, pictures and posts, even share your continuing medical education events. Our Facebook page, created on April 26, 2019, is https://fb.me/namecassn - we hope you join us!

An opinion article by Howard Schulman, MD, was published in the Providence Journal arguing for the passage of H5247/S301 that would remove requirements for maintenance of certification (MOC). One of his arguments against MOC is that Rhode Island doctors must obtain 40 hours of CME every 2 years. 

"The great majority of doctors enjoy keeping up to date and look forward to doing continuing medical education." He states "Being a doctor is much more than filling in the dots on a computer screen."

Additionally, he notes, several government departments, attorneys, insurance companies, media and credentialing services monitor physicians and can take action. 

You can read the full article here.  This is one of the latest fights against maintenance of certification that are introduced in several states across the nation. 

NAMEC Member Physicians’ Education Resource is hosting the first annual International Congress on the Future of Neurology conference September 27 to 28. The location will be in New York City at the Intercontinental New York Time Square. Chairing the educational program is Stephen D. Silberstein, M.D., professor of neurology, director, Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University.

The Congress is a two-day comprehensive meeting that will review the latest data and the best practices for treating patients in the eight core areas of neurological disorders: dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, headache and migraine, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disorders, stroke and sleep disorders. 

Learn more about this program.

According to an article by Tranparency Market Research, a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services, the Continuing Medical Education (CME) market is expected to have tremendous growth through 2026.

The collaboration between medical societies and industry in medical education is the much debated opportunity for the delivery of the continuing medical education to the physicians.

The importance of accreditation was noted in the article.  ACCME is the main widely known accrediting body for CME in the United States.  

Additional information about this forecast for CME can be found at the full article at HonestBusinessman.com.

NAMEC Member CME Outfitters recently announced the launch of two new CME Snacks, Understanding the Big Picture of Pain and Pain Assessment, and Providing the Right Expectations: Understanding the Pathophysiology of Pain.  These 15 minute online activities feature expert faculty members Mark S. Gold, MD, and Steven P. Stanos, DO.

The new launches are part of a CME Outfitters and USF Health nationwide educational initiative to combat inappropriate use of opioids in the management of acute and chronic pain. More information about the project called Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action to Save Our Communities, can be found at the linked press release here.   

If you are planning to attend the ACCME third annual meeting, note that it will be held April 30th - May 2nd at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Chicago (pre-conference sessions on April 29th).

You can access additional information - including the most recent posted agenda - and registration at accme2019.org.

An article titled "Using Education to Address the Problem of Delayed Narcolepsy Diagnosis" was published referencing NAMEC Member CME Outfitters work investigating factors influencing best practice behaviors, so barriers may be addressed in future educational activities.

The full article can be accessed here.