Harvard PRIMARY CARE Internal Medicine 2023

A Comprehensive Update for State-of-the-Art Primary Care
Updates Are Provided Across All Major Areas of Primary Care Practice
syllabus   Harvard CME _ Primary Care Internal Medicine :
October 16 – 20, 2023
Held online this year, using live streaming, electronic Q&A, and other remote learning technologies.
OVERVIEW
This program provides a comprehensive update of the most important changes and advances impacting primary care practice. It is led by Harvard Medical School’s leading clinical faculty— representing more than 30 fields of medicine.
Participants can rely on this program for education and skills advancement workshops covering:

Comprehensive updates for diagnosis and treatment
State-of-the-art approaches to the most frequent clinical challenges
Guidance for care of the patient with complex medical needs
Advanced techniques for in-office procedures
Examination skills
Disease prevention: screening and vaccination updates
Strategies to account for social, racial, sex and gender, and cultural differences to ensure optimized care for all patients

State-of-the-Art Approaches to Frequent Clinical Challenges

Hypertension: New targets. New treatment options.
Hypercholesterolemia: How low to go (and with what)
Diabetes: new treatment options
Management of patients with obesity: new therapeutic options
Contraception: Current state of the art
LGBTQ health
Cardiovascular disease: Setting and achieving goals specific to patient risk
Depression and anxiety: Practical stepwise approaches for primary care
Dyspepsia and dysphagia
Gender-affirming care; gender transitioning
Osteoporosis and bone health: Reducing fracture risk
Antibiotic stewardship: Advanced decision-making for the most common infections
Arthritis: Effective management of articular inflammation
Obstructive sleep apnea: Updates in diagnosis and treatment
Headaches: Established and innovative options
Anemia: Straightforward approaches for abnormal results
Asthma: SMART (single maintenance and reliever therapy) and more
COVID-19: Management of long-term sequelae
Thyroid disorders

Guidance for the Care of Patients with Complex Medical Needs

Heart failure: Improving patient functional capacity with combined therapies
Opioids: Dosing, patient selection, addiction, and weaning
Opioid use disorder: What you need to know about medication-assisted treatment
Biomodulators: Must-know information for primary care clinicians
Liver diseases: Treatment strategies that preserve function
Neurology: Cannot-miss presentations in primary care
Pulmonology: Management of inflammatory conditions
Anticoagulation: Expanding the use of the new targeted agents
Kidney health: Improved strategies for nephron protection
Atrial fibrillation: Pharmacologic and ablation strategies
Medication interactions: Avoiding unintended adverse outcomes
Our aging demographic: Supporting independence and autonomy
Alcohol use disorder: Diverse approaches that expand your repertoire of options
Cognitive decline: What can we do based on the evidence?
Motivational interviewing for weight loss
Principles of sex therapy
Peripheral vascular disease

Knowledge Advancement and Skills Development Workshops

You can choose from 36 live streaming workshops to tailor the program to your specific practice needs. These workshops will all be recorded, allowing you to (re)view them online, at your convenience, for up to 11 months following the conclusion of this program.

Advanced diabetes management
Opioid use disorder
Best practices in the care of LGBTQ patients
Endocrinology case studies
Fluid and electrolyte abnormalities
Unraveling the mysteries of abnormal LFTs
Evaluating and managing irritable bowel syndrome
Evaluation and treatment of wrist and hand complaints
Therapeutic approaches to the shoulder
Lower back pain
Therapeutic approaches to the knee
Therapeutic approaches to the foot and ankle
Challenges and complications of medical marijuana
Exploring the risks of supplements your patients are taking (and not telling you)
Biomodulators: What’s the gab about mAbs (monoclonal antibodies)
Principles of sexual therapy
Immunotherapy: things to know about changing paradigms in oncology care
Prostate problems and challenges
Managing alcohol use disorder
Common otolaryngology issues in primary care
Dermatology A-Z
Tick-borne diseases
Peripheral vascular disease and carotid stenosis
Management of adult attention deficit disorder
Common ophthalmology issues in primary care
Movement disorders
Concussion management: on the field and in the office
Mild neurocognitive disorder: decisions at the gateway to dementia
Supporting the independence and autonomy of older adults
Trauma-informed care
Biases and behaviors in clinical practice
Palliative and hospice care

Women’s Health

Risk assessment of breast and ovarian cancer
Menopause: Proactive patient care
Women’s heart health: Addressing the number 1 killer of women in the U.S.
Female incontinence: Basic approaches and new options
Primary care of the pregnant patient
The fourth trimester: Care after delivery for the PCP
Case studies in gynecology

Practical, Comprehensive Education

Optimized for Remote Learning

The 2023 program has been enhanced for distance learning. In addition to live-streamed content, all sessions will be recorded and made available to participants for online viewing starting 1 day after the session’s live broadcast and can be accessed for 11 months after the course. Questions in the chat not covered live by the speakers will be responded to either immediately afterwards or within a month; this bonus Q&A will be posted in the course archives for participants to review.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Develop new and innovative skills in clinical reasoning and problem solving.
Assess the clinical value of specific diagnostic tests used in general internal medicine and specialty practices, including test sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values.
Apply up-to-date skills to diagnose, treat, and manage short and long-term complications of COVID-19 in the outpatient setting.
Broaden understanding of how to provide the best care possible, regardless of sex or gender identification.
Recognize the side effects and interactions among medications prescribed by primary care clinicians and their consultants.
Summarize the therapeutic potential of newly developed biomodulators and understand interactions with current therapies and newly described untoward side effects.
Discuss the expected results of therapies and summarize current treatment strategies for cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurologic/neurovascular, endocrine, ophthalmic, orthopedic, immunologic, reproductive, dermatologic, gastrointestinal, hepatic, geriatric, psychiatric, metabolic, sleep medicine, and women’s health conditions.
Develop strategies to help patients (and yourself) achieve greater stress resiliency.
Integrate lifestyle messages for patient self-care into daily practice.
Explain the origins and value of current guidelines and develop implementation of office-based strategies to ensure treatment of elevated cholesterol, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and osteoporosis.
Design practical and effective approaches to behavioral health challenges, including alcohol use disorder, marijuana misuse, and opioid addiction.
Describe how to provide the best pain management.
Develop confidence with the use of buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorders.
Apply evidence-based palliative care strategies in clinical practice.
Create practical home-based interventions for elderly patients that support their autonomy and independence.
More confidently examine and assess patients with common orthopedic back, shoulder, knee, and hand complaints.