ScientiaCME Free CME Courses

Unintended pregnancies are a public health emergency and are associated with maternal morbidity and mortality due to complications of unsafe abortion, miscarriage, preeclampsia, obstetric bleeding, and socioeconomic inequality. Over 48% of all pregnancies in the US are unintended – either unwanted or occurring earlier or later than desired – and they are most prevalent in women and girls of lower socioeconomic status and those who cohabit. Unintended pregnancies also impose significant psychosocial and economic costs. Including expenses related to births, abortions, and miscarriages, they cost the US approximately $21 billion every year.

Over 64,000 people develop and close 50,000 die each year of pancreatic cancer, and by 2030, pancreatic cancer is expected to surpass colorectal and breast cancer to become the second-leading cause of cancer death. Over 90% of whom have pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and while the 5-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with localized disease is over 44%, patients with locally advanced (LAPC) or metastatic disease have a median overall survival of 12 to 14 months. Symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer are not usually evident in the early stages of the disease and may be intermittent and nonspecific, and more than half of patients have advanced disease by the time they are diagnosed.

In this online, self-learning activity:

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an inflammatory kidney disease with IgA deposition in the glomerular mesangium. IgAN is the most prevalent primary chronic glomerular disease worldwide. Globally, IgAN has an estimated incidence of 25 cases per one million people annually. It is more common in children and young adults than in the elderly. Among patients of all ages, the average annual prevalence of IgAN in the United States is 329 per 1 million. The epidemiology and gender distribution of IgAN vary by country and region. In North America and Europe, the prevalence is higher in men.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: nephrologists, internists, and pediatricians; physician associates, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in those areas of specialty; and those who otherwise care for or clinically encounter patients with IgAN.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation and obstruction of airflow in the lungs, resulting in difficulty breathing. It includes the conditions of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, both of which contribute to the deterioration of lung function. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, with a prevalence of 14.2 million.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2D) is an ultrarare mitochondrial disease caused by recessive mutations in the TK2 gene and manifesting as a form of mitochondrial DNA depletion/deletion syndrome (MDDS) and mitochondrial myopathy. Under normal conditions, the TK2 gene encodes for the thymidine kinase enzyme present in the mitochondria, which is responsible for the phosphorylating of pyrimidine nucleosides, deoxythymidine, and deoxycytidine. These are the first steps in mitochondrial DNA synthesis, and researchers speculate that TK2 mutations affect muscle tissue because its higher energy demands make it most susceptible to mitochondrial impairment. Mutational analyses of patients with MDDS have found that approximately 15% have TK2 mutations, which may be extrapolated to about 600 to 2,700 individuals in the US.

Target Audience:

HCPs including but not limited to: neurologists, pediatric neurologists, pediatricians, primary care providers, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, and medical geneticists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and nurses who practice in the aforementioned areas of specialty; and any other HCPs with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with TK2D.

Target Audience: Physicians focusing on Pain Management

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Narcolepsy is a neurologic disorder characterized by inappropriate regulation of the sleep-wake cycle and excessive sleepiness during waking hours. Affected individuals may fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as when talking to others, eating, or even driving. Roughly 135,000 to 200,000 people in the United States are estimated to have narcolepsy. Women and men are affected by narcolepsy equally, and most patients begin having symptoms between the ages of 7 and 25 years. The treatment of narcolepsy may be complicated and must be tailored individually after careful evaluation of the patient’s symptoms.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: neurologists, internists, PCPs, psychiatrists; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists who specialize in the aforementioned areas of specialty; and those who otherwise commonly care for or clinically encounter patients with sleep disorders.

Each year, more than 290,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed, making it the leading cause of cancer among females in the United States. Although earlier screening and more effective treatment options have improved outcomes among people with breast cancer, more than 43,000 people die from this type of cancer each year. Throughout the course of breast cancer management, bone health remains an important consideration. In early breast cancer, chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure and endocrine therapy can contribute to BMD loss and subsequent osteoporosis and fracture. In advanced breast cancer, about 70% of all patients will experience bone metastases, placing patients at risk for SREs. In fact, breast cancer is associated with the highest risk of SREs among all tumor types.

Maintaining bone health in patients with breast cancer requires routine monitoring and proactive management to minimize the risk of BMD loss, osteoporosis, and SREs. Guidelines therefore recommend that patients with non-metastatic breast cancer initiating aromatase inhibitors or other treatment that causes bone loss undergo dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to assess baseline BMD. Furthermore, patients at risk for osteoporosis should receive regular follow-up DXA scans to monitor for BMD loss. This represents an opportunity for ongoing education about the need for monitoring to ensure maintenance of optimal bone health.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Dry eye disease (DED) is a condition with a diverse group of etiologies and whose common symptoms include discomfort or pain, visual disturbance, tear film instability, and ocular surface inflammation. Compared with those without the condition, patients with DED experience higher rates of loss of work productivity, impaired of daily activities, medical visits, and sleep and mood disorders, and worse emotion well-being and overall quality of life. Although the prevalence of DED varies based on a variety of patient factors, estimates place it as high as 20% of the adult population and more than 34% in the elderly. The aggregate U.S. economic impact is estimated be over $3 billion in direct medical expenses and $55 billion in indirect expenses annually. Nonetheless, DED is both underdiagnosed and undertreated.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: ophthalmology and optometry; physician assistants and nurse practitioners who practice or are interested in ophthalmology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with dry eye.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic blood disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 Americans. Although it may be found in various areas of the world, SCD predominantly affects individuals of African or Hispanic heritage. It is caused by the inheritance of b-globin alleles that code for hemoglobin S, resulting in an amino acid substitution in hemoglobin’s b chain and clinical disease. Patients with SCD have impaired circulation, and lysis of the erythrocytes contributes to a chronic inflammatory response, causing severe pain and less efficient oxygen delivery. The hallmark clinical features of SCD are hemolytic anemia and painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which may lead to emergency department visits, hospitalization, and potentially fatal complications such as acute chest syndrome, stroke, or pneumonia.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: hematologists and primary care physicians; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists who specialize in the aforementioned areas of specialty; and any other HCPs with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with SCD.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is an immune-mediated response that occurs in recipients of allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). GvHD can be further categorized into acute and chronic cases. Maculopapular rash, follicular erythema, epidermolysis, are common manifestations of acute GvHD, in addition to liver and gastrointestinal dysfunction such as hyperbilirubinemia, nausea, and diarrhea. This activity focuses on chronic GvHD, which has more extensive multi-organ involvement including the liver, eyes, mouth, lungs, skin, genitalia, and gastrointestinal tract.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: hematologists and oncologists; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists who specialize in oncology; and those who otherwise commonly care for or clinically encounter patients with GVHD.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Thalassemias are a group of recessively inherited blood disorders characterized by little or no hemoglobin production and chronic anemia of varying severity. Beta-thalassemia (BT) is most commonly found in people of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African descent. Worldwide, 1.5% of people are BT carriers, with about 40,000 infants born with BT annually. About half of patients with BT are transfusion-dependent, which may significantly impact patient quality of life. BT is caused by a point mutation in the gene encoding hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB), resulting in either lower beta-globin production (termed beta-plus [B⁺]) or the prevention of all beta-globin production (termed beta-zero [B⁰]). Disease severity depends on the extent of hemoglobin β and γ chain imbalance.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: hematologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in hematology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with beta-thalassemia.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare genetic connective tissue disorder characterized by dysregulated chondrogenesis, with heterotopic ossification (HO) being the most typical feature. The global prevalence of FOP is estimated at 1.43 per million individuals, with a U.S. prevalence of 0.88 per million. FOP develops due to a mutation in the ACVR1 gene encoding the active receptor-like kinase (ALK2), with unique presenting symptoms including great toe malformations and the development of swelling in several areas of the body within the first decade of life.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: pediatricians, pediatric orthopedic surgeons, endocrinologists, and medical geneticists; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists who practice in orthopedics, orthopedic surgery, and rheumatology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with FOP.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurs in an estimated five to seven percent of term births and up to 90% of preterm births. The risk for neonatal RDS decreases with increasing gestational age,  such that at a gestational age of 37 weeks, the risk has fallen to just three times that of a full-term infant. In addition to premature birth, risk factors for neonatal RDS include maternal gestational diabetes, male sex, multiparity, abnormal fetoplacental circulation, fetal distress, Cesarean delivery, and low birth weight. The ability for the clinician to recognize neonatal RDS is a documented practice gap, and failure to do so is associated with mortality and complications that may include respiratory failure in the short-term and chronic lung disease in the long-term.

Target Audience:

The following healthcare professionals: neonatologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists who practice in neonatology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with neonatal RDS.  

In this online, self-learning activity:

Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurs in an estimated five to seven percent of term births and up to 90% of preterm births. The risk for neonatal RDS decreases with increasing gestational age,  such that at a gestational age of 37 weeks, the risk has fallen to just three times that of a full-term infant. In addition to premature birth, risk factors for neonatal RDS include maternal gestational diabetes, male sex, multiparity, abnormal fetoplacental circulation, fetal distress, Cesarean delivery, and low birth weight. The ability for the clinician to recognize neonatal RDS is a documented practice gap, and failure to do so is associated with mortality and complications that may include respiratory failure in the short-term and chronic lung disease in the long-term.

Target Audience:

The following healthcare professionals: neonatologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists who practice in neonatology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with neonatal RDS.