BALTIMORE, MD—Each May, the cystic fibrosis (CF) community observes CF Awareness month to bring recognition to the disease and educate others on the realities of living with CF, including the decades-long responsibility of following complex treatment regimens that frequently interfere with day-to-day activities. Coinciding with this observance last month, Med-IQ launched Living With Cystic Fibrosis: Overcoming Daily Treatment Challenges and Improving Mental Health, a free patient-support tool designed to help individuals with CF navigate the challenges of adhering to treatment and determining when to talk to their care team about mental health issues.

Studies have shown that patients with CF who do not follow their treatment regimens tend to have more frequent and longer hospitalizations, higher numbers of emergency room visits, greater declines in pulmonary function, and higher medical costs. In addition, evidence suggests that the prevalence of psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety are higher among patients with CF than among the general population. Indeed, people with CF who have symptoms of depression and anxiety are less likely to adhere to their CF treatment, and, in turn, experience reduced pulmonary function, increased healthcare utilization and costs, and decreased health-related quality of life.

In an effort to mitigate the consequences of poor adherence, Med-IQ developed this free support tool in conjunction with GoMo Health to help engage and educate patients about the relevance of these important issues in long-term CF outcomes. The text message program is designed for people “on-the-go” and is personalized to meet the individual needs of participants. For 8 weeks, the tool delivers 2 weekly messages to enrolled individuals, with practical tips on improving communication with care teams, following prescribed CF treatment plans, and recognizing and preventing anxiety and depression. Interested individuals can enroll at www.CareforCF.com.

The daily rigor and complexity of CF treatment regimens, together with the many physical consequences of the disease, can have a profound negative effect on the mental health of patients and caregivers alike. This psychological distress, in turn, further exacerbates adherence challenges, which can have a negative effect on medical outcomes and total well-being for patients with CF,

said Beth A. Smith, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University at Buffalo in NY.

It is important to directly engage and educate patients with CF, provide them with relevant tools and resources that fit into their busy lifestyles, and help motivate them to more actively participate as members of the care team focused on optimizing their health and wellness.

Faculty

Beth A. Smith, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics
Director of Training in Child/Adolescent Psychiatry
University at Buffalo
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Medical Director, The Children’s Psychiatry Clinic
Chief of Behavioral Health
Kaleida Health
Buffalo, NY

Elizabeth Bryson, RN, MSN, PPCNP-BC, CS
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Division of Pulmonary Medicine
Akron Children’s Hospital
Akron, OH

This patient-support tool is a companion to two new CME-certified audiocasts for physicians who manage patients with CFand one CE-certified audiocast for nurses. Beth A. Smith, MD, and Elizabeth Bryson, RN, MSN, PPCNP-BC, CS, discuss best-practice recommendations related to the assessment and improvement of treatment adherence and mental health in patients with CF in these engaging activities. Physicians are invited to visit www.Med-IQ.com/a949, and nurses may visit www.Med-IQ.com/a940 to access these complimentary activities. For more information, please call (toll-free) 866 858 7434 or e-mail info@med-iq.com.

Physicians: This activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Nurses:Med-IQ is accredited by the California Board of Registered Nursing to provide continuing education to nurses. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider number CEP 14745, for 1.0 contact hour.

The patient support tool is not approved for CME/CE credit.

This CME/CE activity is supported by an educational grant from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

 

About Med-IQ

Med-IQ, America’s most respected provider of continuing medical education (CME), inspires healthcare professionals through award-winning activities that deliver sophisticated outcomes-based educational designs with measurable results. Med-IQ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the California Board of Registered Nursing (CBRN), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). See how Med-IQ is helping to enhance patient outcomes in these short videos.

The Med-IQ Quality Improvement (QI) Institute supports the ongoing transformation of the healthcare system from a volume- to value-focused model, aiming to provide personalized, patient-centered, evidence-based, and efficient care. The QI Institute has won 6 awards for its initiatives, given 15 presentations at national conferences, been published 18 times in peer-reviewed journals, and worked with more than 50 healthcare systems. To date, more than 71,000 patient records have been reviewed as part of Med-IQ QI initiatives.

To learn more about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

For more information, contact:

Sara C. Miller, MS
Director, QI Institute, CE Strategy and Content
866 858 7434
info@med-iq.com

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Inspiring Medical Education.