Can You “Do it Better”? Applying New Strategies into Obesity Care

Weight Management
Curriculum:
Experts on Call: Connecting Specialists and Primary Care to Improve Patient-Centered Obesity Management
Credits:
1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) 1.0 ANCC Contact Hours 1.0 AAPA Category 1 Credit(s)
Launch Date:
May 19, 2023
Expiration Date:
May 19, 2024

Primary Audience:

Primary Care Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Associates/Physician Assistants.

Relevant Terms:

Incretins, GLP-1 RAs, GIP/GLP-1 RA coagonist, tirzepatide, obesity, weight management, pharmacotherapy, bariatric surgery

Robert Kushner, MD, MS

Professor 
Departments of Medicine and Medical Education
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Director
Center for Lifestyle Medicine
Northwestern Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Robert Kushner, MD, MS, is Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Director of the Center for Lifestyle Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. After finishing a residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University, he went on to complete a postgraduate fellowship in Clinical Nutrition and earned a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition and Nutritional Biology from the University of Chicago. Dr Kushner is past President of The Obesity Society, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and the American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists and a founder and first Chair of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr Kushner has authored more than 250 original articles, reviews, books, and book chapters covering medical nutrition, medical nutrition education, and obesity and is an internationally recognized expert on the care of patients with overweight or obesity issues. He also is author/editor of multiple books. Current books include Nutrition and Bariatric Surgery (CRC Press, 2015), Lifestyle Medicine: A Manual for Clinical Practice (Springer, 2016), Creating a Lifestyle Medicine Center (Springer, 2020), Six Factors to Fit—Weight Loss that Works for You! (Eat Right Press, 2020), and Primary Care: Evaluation and Management of Obesity (Wolters Kluwer, 2022).

Christopher D. Still, DO, FACN, FACP

Professor of Medicine
Department of Clinical Sciences
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Medical Director
Center for Nutrition and Weight Management
Director
Geisinger Center for Obesity and Metabolic Research
Geisinger Health System
Danville, Pennsylvania

Christopher D. Still, DO, FACN, FACP, is Professor of Medicine at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. He also is the Medical Director, Center for Nutrition and Weight Management, and Director, Geisinger Obesity Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania. Dr Still received a Master of Science degree from the Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition in New York City and his osteopathic medical degree from The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pennsylvania. He completed his internship at the University of Buffalo at Sisters of Charity Hospital, New York, followed by a residency in internal medicine and a subsequent fellowship in clinical nutrition and obesity treatment at Geisinger Medical Center.

Dr Still has been studying developments in nutrition, metabolic syndrome, and obesity for nearly 3 decades. His work has included research into genetic markers for obesity, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and diabetes; the metabolic differences among men who are obese, formerly obese, and normal weight; surgical options for people who are severely obese; and leptin-level determination among older women who are obese. He is principal investigator on a rural nutrition and aging study of approximately 22,000 individuals.

Dr Still is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Obesity Medicine, American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, and American College of Nutrition. He is a member of several professional societies, including The Obesity Society, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Nutrition. He served on the board of directors for the Obesity Action Coalition and is the past president of the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists. He and his program have been featured on CNN, National Public Radio, ABC News, and The Discovery Health Channel. He was awarded the ASMBS Integrated Health Circle of Excellence Award.

Dr Still has edited the book Nutrition and Bariatric Surgery and the ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery, volume 1, as well as authored multiple textbook chapters. He has published articles in several journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Obesity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Lancet Endocrinology, Annals of Surgery, Gastroenterology, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, Surgery for Obesity and Related Disorders, and Human Molecular Genetics. He has lectured on topics such as vitamin and mineral metabolism; diet, nutrition, and exercise; obesity through the life cycle; and perioperative medical and nutritional management of the bariatric surgery patient.

1. Assess patients according to the guideline criteria for diagnosis and pharmacologic management of obesity
2. Develop strategies to overcome biases and barriers associated with the chronic management of obesity
3. Integrate shared decision-making techniques into patient interactions on obesity management
4. Incorporate guideline recommendations, the latest clinical evidence, and patient-specific factors to select antiobesity medications for long-term management among appropriate patients
5. Apply strategies to improve the likelihood of long-term weight loss based on an assessment of treatment response, patient preferences, and adherence

Can You “Do it Better”? Applying New Strategies into Obesity Care
Provided by Clinical Care Options, LLC in partnership with RealCME


Acknowledgment
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.


Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

  • Assess patients according to the guideline criteria for diagnosis and pharmacologic management of obesity
  • Develop strategies to overcome biases and barriers associated with the chronic management of obesity
  • Integrate shared decision-making techniques into patient interactions on obesity management
  • Incorporate guideline recommendations, the latest clinical evidence, and patient-specific factors to select antiobesity medications for long-term management among appropriate patients
  • Apply strategies to improve the likelihood of long-term weight loss based on an assessment of treatment response, patient preferences, and adherence

 

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Clinical Care Options, LLC (CCO) requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose all financial conflicts of interest (COI) they may have with ineligible companies. All relevant COI are thoroughly vetted and mitigated according to CCO policy. CCO is committed to providing its learners with high-quality CME/CE activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of an ineligible company.


Faculty
The faculty reported the following relevant financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they have with ineligible companies related to the content of this educational activity.

Robert Kushner, MD, MS: consultant/advisor/speaker: Epitomee, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, WW.

Christopher D. Still, DO, FACN, FACP: consultant/advisor/speaker: Novo Nordisk; researcher: Ethicon Endo-Surgery.


Staff
The planners and content peer reviewers from Clinical Care Options, LLC and RealCME do not have any relevant financial relationships to disclose, except Amy Butts, PA-C, as noted below.

Amy Butts, PA-C: consultant: Bayer, Novo Nordisk, Provention Bio, Xeris.

 

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.


Disclaimer
Learners have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by healthcare professionals without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.


Target Audience
The primary target audience for this education is primary care physicians. The secondary target audience is primary care nurse practitioners and physician associates/physician assistants.


Goal
The goal of this program is to improve primary care provider knowledge and competence (application of knowledge) and demonstrate improvement in clinical performance to optimize treatment for patients with obesity.

 

Accreditation Information
In support of improving patient care, Clinical Care Options, LLC (CCO) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.


Physician Continuing Medical Education
CCO designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.


Nursing Continuing Professional Development
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Nursing Continuing Professional Development activity is 1.0 contact hour.


Physician Assistant/Physician Associate Continuing Medical Education
Clinical Care Options, LLC has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit. Approval is valid until 5/18/24. PAs should only claim commensurate with the extent of their participation.


Program Medium
This program has been made available online.

Instructions for Credit
Participation in this self-study activity should be completed in approximately 1.0 hour. To successfully complete this activity and receive credit, learners must follow these steps during the period from 5/18/23, through 5/18/24:

  1. Read the target audience, learning objectives, and faculty disclosures
  2. View and study the content in its entirety
  3. Submit answers to the post-test questions and evaluation questions online

You must receive a test score of at least 65% and respond to all evaluation questions to receive a certificate. You will be able to claim your credit and certificate immediately after completing the activity. There are no costs/fees for this activity.
 

COURSE VIEWING REQUIREMENTS

Supported Browsers:
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome 60 or higher
Mozilla Firefox 60 or higher
Apple Safari 11.0 or higher
For video, install the latest version of Quicktime.
Supported Phones & Tablets:
iOS 9.3 and higher
Android 7.0 (Nougat or higher)
Microsoft Windows 8
Chrome OS

 
Additional Recommendations and Requirements
Display Resolution & Color Depth Resolution
- 960 X 768 minimum
- 1024 X 768 recommended min.

Color Depth
- 8 bits (256 colors) minimum
- 16 bits (High colors) minimum
Audio - Microphone
- Speakers or headphones
- Audio recording support
Word Processing Software that can open, modify, and save documents in Rich Text Format (RTF). Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are recommended.