Special Notice!! Looking for reviewers to help keep the List up-to-date.

Cleveland Clinic Biologic Therapies in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disease States
Last visited...3/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD
Credit hours....10 podcasts (0.5 hours each); 8 webcasts (slide-video lectures, 0.5 or 0.75 hours each); and 1 monograph, 1.25 hours). Total about 12 hours.
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost..........Free.
Instruct. Type...Slide-Video lectures; podcast; monograph.
Target Audiences...RHEUM.
Educ. material last updated....2007
Financial Support...Various pharmaceutical and device companies.
CME Credit Expires...11/09.

This site is based on a meeting that took place in August 2007. After studying the content, you should be able to: review and describe immunoregulatory pathways including the roles of T-cell and B-cell activation and effector function, cytokine biology, and immunologic central mechanisms in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; differentiate the mechanisms of action, efficacy, and toxicity of varying classes of biologic therapeutics (TNF, T-cell, B-cell, and directed agents); apply state-of-the-art management strategies to patients with varied autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; recognize and diagnose refractory states of autoimmunity and inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease states; and evaluate the risks and benefits of using biologic therapies as options in patients with refractory autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases.

Cleveland Clinic Current and Emerging Trials, Mechanisms, and Agents in B-Cell–Directed Therapies
Last visited...2/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD
Credit hours...2 lectures, total 2 hours.
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost..........Free.
Instruct. Type...Slide-Video lecture or newsletter (Text-Only).
Target Audiences...RHEUM.
Educ. material last updated....2008.
Financial Support...Genentech and Biogen Idec.

These activities concern new therapies in the treatment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). After completing this course, you should be able to: cite the key clinical features of recent advances in B-cell biology as they relate to autoimmune rheumatic diseases; review advances in molecular biology that contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases; discuss  recently published clinical data relating to the usage of B-cell–directed therapies for rheumatoid arthritis; and examine current approaches to the usage of B-cell–directed therapeutics in rheumatoid arthritis.

Cleveland Clinic: Hepatic Effects of Biologic Agents: Current and Future Issues in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Last visited...2/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD
Credit hours...A single monograph offering 0.75 hours.
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost..........Free.
Instruct. Type...Text-Only (pdf).
Target Audiences...RHEUM, GI.
Educ. material last updated....2008.
Financial Support...Roche.

A single monograph, Hepatic Effects of Biologic Agents: Current and Future Issues in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The monograph is a report of a discussion between a rheumatologist and a hepatologist of the hepatic effects of biologic agents in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and their potential for the treatment of viral hepatitis.

Cleveland Clinic: Immunocompetence and Biologic Therapies: Assessing Risks and Preventing Complications from Infections
Last visited...2/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD.
Credit hours...5 webcasts offering 0.5 hour each (total of 2.5 hours).
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost for Credit...Free.
Instruct. Type....Slide-Video Lecture.
Target Audiences....RHEUM.
Educ. material last updated....2009.
Financial Support...Genentech and Biogen Idec.

This program intends to strengthen the ability of rheumatologists to manage the challenge of balancing therapeutic immune suppression and the risk of infectious complications. Lecture titles are: Importance of Assessing Immunocompetence in Biologic Drug Development; Relative Risks of Serious Bacterial and Opportunistic Infections Among Biologics: Results of Randomized Trials and Observational Studies; The Effect of Biologic Agents on Humoral Immunity: Significance of Immunoglobulins and Response to Vaccines; Infectious Complications of Biologic Therapies: Preventive and Therapeutic Strategies; and Immunocompetence and Biologic Therapies: Assessing Risks and Preventing Complications from Infections - Panel Discussion.

Cleveland Clinic Neuroinflammatory Diseases in Rheumatology
Last visited...3/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD
Credit hours....4 podcasts (0.5 or 0.25 hours each); 4 webcasts (slide-video lectures, 0.5 or 0.25 hours each); and 1 monograph, 1.75 hours). Total about 6 hours.
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost..........Free.
Instruct. Type...Slide-Video lectures; podcast; monograph.
Target Audiences...RHEUM, NEURO.
Educ. material last updated....2008
Financial Support...Various pharmaceutical and device companies.
CME Credit Expires...2010.

After completing this course, you should be able to: classify neuropsychiatric complications of SLE and describe the sequence, order, and interpretation of neurodiagnostic testing needed to accurately diagnose these complications; differentiate the common clinical subsets of CNS vasculitis from their important mimics and describe the interpretation and limitations of common neurodiagnostic testing used for its evaluation; identify the common clinical and electrodiagnostic features of vasculitis neuropathy and associate and correlate such findings to neurovascular pathologic findings; and define the role of immunosuppressive and biologic therapies in the pathogenesis of opportunistic CNS infections.

Cleveland Clinic: Rheumatoid Arthritis eJournal Club
Last visited...2/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD
Credit hours...1 hour.
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost..........Free.
Instruct. Type...Slide-Audio lectures.
Target Audiences...RHEUM
Educ. material last updated....2009.
Financial Support...Roche.

This eJournal club will engage RA clinicians in an examination, discussion and assessment of the most recent peer-reviewed, RA literature. Areas of focus will include emerging approaches to improve patient function and quality of life, and to reduce mortality. This new series has only one activity at present: Certolizumab Pegol Plus Methotrexate Is Significantly More Effective Than Placebo Plus Methotrexate in Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: Findings of a Fifty-Two–Week, Phase III, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled, Parallel-Group Study. Keystone E, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;58:3319-3329

Cleveland Clinic: Rheumatoid Arthritis Virtual Grand Rounds
Last visited...2/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD
Credit hours...8 lectures offering 8 hours.
Awarded by....Cleveland Clinic.
Cost..........Free.
Instruct. Type...Slide-Audio lectures.
Target Audiences...RHEUM.
Educ. material last updated....2009.
Financial Support...Multiple pharmaceutical companies.

This series contains bimonthly discussions on the management of complicated RA patient cases that encompass diverse treatment challenges. Current lectures include: Prevention of Infection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Biologic Agents; Rheumatoid Arthritis and Imaging; Treating a Patient with RA and Hepatitis B or C; Therapeutic Issues in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Pregnancy; Rheumatoid Arthritis and Heart Failure; Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with an Inadequate Response to TNF Inhibitors; Rheumatoid Arthritis and Malignancy: Associations, Effects of Treatment, and Discussion of Options for Patients with Prior Cancer; and The Management of Difficult Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Clinical Conundrum: Use of COX-2 Inhibitors, nsNSAIDs and ASA in Patients with Cardiovascular Risk
Last visited...1/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD.
Credit hours...1.0.
Awarded by....Medical Education Resources.
Cost..........Free.
Instruction Type...Slide-Audio Lecture.
Target Audience....FP, IM, RHEUM.
Educational material last updated...2008
Financial support...Pfizer.
CME Credit Expires...November 2009.

Four brief lectures on the use of these medications in patients with cardiovascular risk. After completing this course, you should be able to: discuss the cardiovascular risks associated with non-selective and selective NSAIDs; review & compare data on the effects of aspirin therapy in conjunction with NSAID therapies; summarize the UGI complications associated with nsNSAIDs and selective NSAIDs and the impact of concomitant administration of ASA; and analyze the benefit:/risk profile of CV vs. GI events.

Extra Miles (Rheumatoid Arthritis Cyberounds)  
Last visited...3/2009
Reviewed by Bernard Sklar, MD.
Credit hours.....9.
Awarded by...Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Cost.........Free.
Instruction Type....Interactive Game.
Target Audiences....RHEUM.
Educational material last updated....2006
Financial Support...Bristol Meyers Squibb.
CME Credit Expires...August 31, 2009.

Extra Miles is an interactive running game on the roles and mechanisms of action of T cells and B cells, and their impact on the diagnosis, treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis patients who do not respond to current "biologic" TNF-alpha inhibitors.

Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education (FORE)
Last visited…2/2009.
Credit Hours…1.0 per course (5 series total).
Awarded by… AMA
Cost… Free.
Instruction Type… Slide-Video-Lecture.
Target Audiences… FP, IM, RHEUM.
Educational Material last updated…
Financial support… Amgen.

Use Internet Explorer to view these five presentations related to osteoporosis: Cytokine Networks in Systemic & Focal Bone Loss; Can Medications Inhibit & Even Heal Erosions in RA?; Epidemiology of Bone Loss in Inflammatory Arthritis and Secondary to Glucocortoids; New Paradigm in Osteoporosis Assessment: Absolute Fracture Risk Determination; and Novel Therapies Directed at Molecular Targets for Bone Loss.

Projects In Knowledge Advanced Certificate Program IV: Bridging Cultural Differences to Improve HBV Treatment in Asian and Other Diverse Communities
Last visited...2/2009.
Reviewed by...Bernard Sklar, MD.
Credit hours...19 activities for a total of 18 credits. 
Awarded by…Projects In Knowledge. 
Cost for Credit...Free. 
Instruction Type...Text and Audio. 
Target Audiences...GI, ID, ONCO , RHEUM. 
Educational materials last updated...January 29, 2009 (ongoing). 
Financial Support...Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences, Inc. 
CME Credit Expires...One year after posting.

The fourth year of this program features 19 courses presented online over one year, and offers up to 18 credits. The curriculum contains the latest information on HBV virology and genotyping, screening and diagnosis in the Asian community, AASLD, Keeffe, and APASL hepatitis B virus treatment guidelines, and current and emerging treatment strategies. It will also help clinicians understand the impact of cultural differences in the management of HBV infection, with particular focus on the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.