As COVID-19 reemerges across the country, the need for innovative measures to provide high-quality patient care has become more urgent. Telemedicine (TM) has been thrust into the forefront of healthcare this year as the COVID-19 pandemic forces clinicians in various specialties to alter the way they provide care.
In asthma management, this sudden shift has caught many physicians including allergists and immunologists off guard. Many lack familiarity with the benefits of telemedicine and are remain uncertain about how best to manage patient care in the virtual setting.
To promote easier transitions to telemedicine, Rockpointe, and American Lung Association, MedChi Maryland State Medical Society, along with a consortium of state medical societies, accredited by Potomac Center for Medical Education, and Maryland Nurses Association will host three live CME/CE-certified, MOC-eligible webinars on telemedicine in asthma care (Nov. 19, Dec. 9, and Dec. 15).
Studies of asthma management in adults and children have shown comparable asthma control among patients treated through TM and those treated as in-office visits. Furthermore, surveys of physicians across the country have found widespread satisfaction among patients who were treated through telemedicine. “Providing quality health care is no longer constrained by local commutes and a brick-and-mortar footprint,” said Justin Greiwe, MD, of Bernstein Allergy Group in Cincinnati, OH, “but instead can be provided at a local, regional, and national level in ways that were not feasible in the past.”
Because patients with asthma are at increased risk of pulmonary infection, strategies to minimize those risks during the pandemic are key to health maintenance for those patients. Telemedicine in Asthma Management: What Clinicians Need to Know is an hour-long program geared toward primary care clinicians, allergists, immunologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers involved in the care of patients with asthma. Participants will learn about different strategies for virtual healthcare visits and remote patient monitoring, how to manage treatment in the telemedicine setting, and how to navigate the complex and continuously evolving legal and regulatory landscape pertaining to tele-healthcare.
This free educational initiative is designed to address ACGME and NAM competencies, including delivering patient-centered care and practicing evidence-based medicine; and to address ACPE competencies, including foundational knowledge and essentials for practice and care. At the program’s conclusion, participants should be able to:
- Describe the benefits and challenges of telemedicine in the asthma/allergy clinic.
- Adopt recommended practices for appropriate integration of telemedicine into asthma patient care.
- Assess the legal and regulatory guidelines and requirements for asthma care via telemedicine.
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Potomac Center for Medical Education (PCME), Rockpointe and the Maryland Nurses Association and In collaboration with the American Lung Association. PCME, which is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians, designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. This activity has been submitted to the Maryland Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. The Maryland Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Successful completion of this CME/CE activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables participants to earn up to 1.0 Medical Knowledge MOC point in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.
PCME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education and designates this knowledge- and practice-based activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour (0.10 CEU) of continuing education credit.
There is no fee for this activity, which is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from This program is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca, Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. To receive credit, participants must register, view the live CME/CE activity in its entirety, and then complete the post-test, with a score of 75% or better, and evaluation. The estimated time for completion of this activity is one hour. To receive a certificate, participants must demonstrate mastery of the presented material via the post-test. Participants are allowed to take the post-test multiple times.
Through effective continuing medical education, Rockpointe strives to improve and advance the quality of patient care. Its educational programs have been at the forefront of new issues in healthcare, such as managing challenges posed by COVID-19, addressing racial disparities in care, and combating the nation’s opioid crisis. As part of its commitment to quality, Rockpointe works to inform the continuing-education community of significant quality-improvement issues through news and analysis on Policy and Medicine. In addition, its popular Medical Education Exchange (MEDX) CME regional meetings include sessions on the basics of quality improvement and alternative payment models, as well as relevant and scientifically accurate sessions on numerous disease states. All sessions include links back to associated National Quality Priorities to reinforce the bigger picture and the triple aim of: 1) improving health and 2) lowering cost to 3) better the patient experience. At Rockpointe, education equals quality.
For session times and to register for Telemedicine in Asthma Management, go to https://www.pathlms.com/rockpointe/courses/24304?utm_source=rp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monthly-announcement or click here.