Faculty

Statement of Need

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common diagnosis in clinical gastroenterology, affecting approximately ten to fifteen percent of the general adult population. IBS and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) are disorders of gut-brain interaction; they are debilitating, often misunderstood, and a challenge to diagnose and manage.

Shame and embarrassment are often core components affecting patients seeking treatment for their bowel symptoms. Therefore, the symposium and live webstream will integrate a patient into the faculty panel to provide clinicians with strategies to enhance patient-provider communication to engage patients in discussions about their bowel health and patient-centric treatment strategies that promote symptomatic relief. The use of video vignettes of realistic patient-provider interactions will reflect the variability in symptom presentation, patient preferences or reluctance to move beyond OTC treatments, and treatment selection encountered in routine practice. Following each video vignette, learners will be asked to make decisions regarding the case scenario followed by a discussion among the clinical faculty and patient faculty to address variabilities in patient vs. clinician perspectives to enhance optimal management approaches with the goal of providing strategies to enhance communication and improve patient outcomes.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this CE activity, participants should be able to:

• Improve the diagnostic accuracy of IBS and CIC through patient queries, patient-centered communication, and use of diagnostic tools.
• Apply evidence-based treatment strategies for symptomatic relief of IBS and CIC in patients experiencing residual symptoms after initial dietary and OTC approaches fail.
• Promote collaborative care strategies that facilitate comprehensive management of IBS and CIC, including early initiation of care and optimal long-term management.

The following learning objectives pertain only to those requesting CNE or CPE credit:

• Explain the diagnostic accuracy of IBS and CIC through patient queries, patient-centered communication, and use of diagnostic tools.
• Describe evidence-based treatment strategies for symptomatic relief of IBS and CIC in patients experiencing residual symptoms after initial dietary and OTC approaches fail.
• Explain collaborative care strategies that facilitate comprehensive management of IBS and CIC, including early initiation of care and optimal long-term management.

Financial Support

Supported by an educational grant from Allergan and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals.

Target Audience

Gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, gynecologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists who treat patients with IBS.

Credit Information

CME Outfitters, LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME Outfitters, LLC designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CNE Credit (Nurses):
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 15510, for 1.25 contact hours

Note to Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists: the content of this activity pertains to pharmacology. Earn up to 1.25 contact hours of pharmacotherapeutic contact hours.

Note to Nurse Practitioners: Nurse practitioners can apply for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TMthrough the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM from organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Nurse practitioners can also apply for credit through their state boards.

CPE Credit (Pharmacists):
CME Outfitters, LLC, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. 1.25 contact hours (0.125 CEUs) Universal Activity Number:
Live: 0376-0000-18-013-L01-P
Enduring: 0376-0000-18-013-H01-P

Type: Knowledge-based

ABIM/MOC Credit:
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.25 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Learning Formats
Live activity
Enduring material

Note to Physician Assistants: AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM from organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

MIPS Improvement Activity: This activity counts towards MIPS Improvement Activity requirements under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Clinicians should submit their improvement activities by attestation via the CMS Quality Payment Program website.

Post-tests, credit request forms, and activity evaluations must be completed online at www.cmeoutfitters.com/TST27379 (requires free account activation), and participants can print their certificate or statement of credit immediately (75% pass rate required). This website supports all browsers except Internet Explorer for Mac. For complete technical requirements and privacy policy, visit www.neurosciencecme.com/technical.asp.

Disclosure Declaration

It is the policy of CME Outfitters, LLC, to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, and scientific rigor and integrity in all of their CE activities. Faculty must disclose to the participants any relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of this CE activity. CME Outfitters, LLC, has evaluated, identified, and attempted to resolve any potential conflicts of interest through a rigorous content validation procedure, use of evidence-based data/research, and a multidisciplinary peer review process. The following information is for participant information only. It is not assumed that these relationships will have a negative impact on the presentations.

Dr. Brooks D. Cash disclosed that he is on the speakers bureau for Allergan; Salix Pharmaceuticals; and Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. He is a consultant for Allergan; IM HealthScience; Shire; and Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Dr. William D. Chey disclosed that he receives grants from Biomerica, Inc.; Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Nestle; and Vibrant Pharma Inc. He is a consultant for Allergan; Biomerica, Inc.; IM HealthScience; Nestle; Outpost Medicine; Prometheus Laboratories Inc.; QOL Medical; Ritter Pharmaceuticals; Salix Pharmaceuticals; and Valeant.

Kareen Turner, MPH, RD (patient panelist) has no disclosures to report.

Jeffrey Helfand, DO, MS (peer reviewer) has no disclosures to report.

Mae Ochoa, RPh (peer reviewer) has no disclosures to report.

Sharon Tordoff(planning committee) has no disclosures to report.

Jan Perez (planning committee) has no disclosures to report.

Disclosures were obtained from the CME Outfitters, LLC staff: No disclosures to report.

Faculty of this CE activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently labeled for use by the FDA. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses (any uses not approved by the FDA) of products or devices.