Long COVID CME Course Coming May 11
Blended Program Includes Webinar, Video Series and T2P Activities
May 5, 2022, 8:45 a.m. News Staff — 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.
For many people, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection can persist for weeks or even months after. These conditions, also known as long COVID, can range from difficulty breathing to muscle pain to changes in smell or taste, and may appear alone or in combination with other symptoms. While the exact number of people who have long COVID is unknown, by some estimates as much as 30% of people who become infected will go on to develop long COVID.
To assist family physicians in the ongoing fight against long COVID, the Academy —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 CME activity open to both AAFP members and non-members, beginning with a one-hour live webinar on May 11 and followed by an online-only enduring course that will be available on May 25.
Program Details
The first segment in the course, a live webinar titled “The Short- and Long-term Effects of COVID-19 — Patient Perspectives,” will air from 7-8 p.m. CT May 11 and feature a panel moderated by Robert Dachs, M.D., a clinical associate professor with the Ellis Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in Schenectady, N.Y. Dachs will be joined by Boris Shkolnik, M.D., a pulmonologist and critical care physician in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y., 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.
Story Highlights
Individuals who attend the webinar will be able to
- 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, and
- 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 May 25 with a recording of the 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.
Topics covered in the sessions include
- 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, and
- 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.
Credit and Registration
Those who attend the May 11 live webinar will be able to claim up to 1.0 Online AAFP Prescribed credit.
Those who complete the May 25 online sessions 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.
Following the May 11 webinar, the course webpage will be updated to include a registration button for the May 25 video series. Additional information on credits and the video series will be posted as it becomes available. Bookmark the long COVID CME course webpage for the latest information.