PRE-TEST

Please complete the pre-test before proceeding to the activity. It is available at the following link.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver failure in the United States, and is a serious public health concern, particularly among Asian Americans who bear the greatest burden of the disease. An estimated 1.25 million to 2 million Americans have CHB; however, Asian Americans account for about 60% of all persons affected, as well as more than half of all deaths attributed to CHB. Evidence suggests that less than one-third of Asian Americans have ever been screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and less than one-fourth of those with CHB have ever been diagnosed. Similarly, significant gaps in appropriate treatment and management of CHB persist throughout the spectrum of care for this disease. Recent analyses indicate that less than half of all persons with CHB who are diagnosed are referred for appropriate care, 85%-90% of those eligible for antiviral treatment never receive a prescription, and less than 5% of all those with CHB are ever successfully treated.

To decrease the burden of CHB in Asian Americans, it is vital that health care providers (HCPs) practicing in Asian American communities are aware of the elevated risks of CHB among their patients of Asian descent and implement the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screening recommendations in order to identify those patients with CHB as early as possible in the disease course. Once patients with CHB are identified, HCPs need to adhere to American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) guidance on pretreatment evaluation and follow recommended antiviral treatment and monitoring strategies.

The primary goal of this CME/CE-certified activity is to improve screening, treatment, linkage to care, and referral to a specialist of patients at risk for CHB by providing the most current information on screening, diagnosis, and treatment from the USPSTF, AASLD, and clinical studies to HCPs practicing in Asian American communities.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of primary care providers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses who care for patients at risk for HBV infection.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

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

  • Identify, screen, and diagnose patients at risk for CHB
  • Discuss AASLD clinical-practice-guideline-eligibility criteria for antiviral treatment of CHB
  • Summarize currently available antiviral treatment options for CHB
  • Describe recommended tests and timing for monitoring of patients on antiviral therapy
  • Summarize recommended approaches to monitoring of patients not currently on antiviral treatment
  • Identify patients who need to be referred to a specialist for management and care

FACULTY

W. RAY KIM, MD

Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Department of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, CA

MINDIE H. NGUYEN, MD, MAS, FAASLD

Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford University Medical Center
Palo Alto, CA

CME/CE INFORMATION

Physician Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Global Education Group (Global) and the Asian Health Foundation. Global is accredited by the ACCME to provide CME for physicians.

Physician Credit Designation
Global Education Group designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

NURSING CONTINUING EDUCATION
Global Education Group is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This educational activity for 0.75 contact hours is provided by Global Education Group. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Global Education Group (Global) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals and their spouse/life partner who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest (COI) they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified COIs are thoroughly vetted by Global for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient-care recommendations.

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or inquire@globaleducationgroup.com

DISCLOSURES

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity.

W. RAY KIM, MD

Consultant Independent Contractor: AbbVie; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; MSD

MINDIE H. NGUYEN, MD, MAS, FAASLD

Grant/Research Support: Bristol-Myers Squibb; Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Honoraria: Bristol-Myers Squibb; Gilead Sciences, Inc.

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity.

Amanda Glazar, PhD: Nothing to disclose

Ashley Marostica, RN, MSN: Nothing to disclose

Andrea Funk: Nothing to disclose

James Murphy: 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. Global Education Group (Global) and HealthmattersCME 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 any organization associated with this activity. 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 in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

TERM OF OFFERING

This activity was released on November 2, 2015, and is valid for one year. Requests for credit must be made no later than November 1, 2016.

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to receive credit for this activity, the participant must listen to the entire activity and then complete the post-survey, post-test, evaluation, and request for credit. The link is made available upon completion of the activity.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

PC

Microsoft Windows 2000 SE or above
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Internet Explorer (v7 or greater), FireFox, or Chrome

MAC

MAC OS 10.2.8
Flash Player Plugin (v7.0.1.9 or greater)
Safari, FireFox, or Chrome (Internet Explorer is not supported on the MAC)

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