Continuing Education Info

Target Audience: This complimentary activity is intended for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, rheumatologists and internal medicine physicians who diagnose and treat arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Completion Time: The estimated time to complete this activity is two hours.
Objectives: Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:
• cite the seven subtypes of JIA as per the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification system for JIA;
• list the common clinical presentations of the subtypes of JIA ranging from oligoarticular JIA to polyarticular rheumatoid factor positive IA;
• utilize appropriate diagnostic tests to help differentiate between the JIA subtypes;
• review the overall goals of therapeutic treatment of JIA;
• describe the pros and cons of nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in managing JIA;
• discuss current studies on the use of celecoxib to treat JIA;
• list possible side effects of NSAID medications and appropriately monitor for them in everyday office practice;
• explain the role of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate, as second-line agents for JIA;
• discuss findings from current studies on the efficacy of anti-TNF agents such as etanercept and adalimumab for JIA; and
• identify contraindications of DMARDs and anti-TNF drugs, and possible side effects of these therapies in the pediatric population.

Disclosure Policy: All those with control over the content of continuing education programs sponsored by NACCME are expected to disclose whether they do or do not have any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest or other relationships related to the content of their presentation(s). It is not assumed that these relationships will have an adverse impact on presentations; they are simply noted here to fully inform participants.

Dr. Goldsmith has disclosed that he is a consultant to Wyeth.

Dr. Lovell has disclosed that he is a member of the Speakers’ Bureau for Wyeth. He is a consultant to Amgen, Centocor, Pfizer, Novartis, Inc., and Xoma, Inc.

Ms. Taylor has disclosed that she has no significant financial relationship with any organization that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest in the context of his presentation.

Reviewer: Dr. Wei has disclosed that he has no significant financial relationship with any organization that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest in the context of these presentations.

Editor: Jeff Hall has disclosed that he has no significant financial relationship.

Participation

Participation: Read the monograph, take, submit and pass the post-test by March 31, 2009.
Release date: March 28, 2008
Expiration date: March 31, 2009
Commercial Support Disclosure: This activity is supported by an educational grant from Abbott Laboratories.

Accreditation Statements:
MD/DO: This activity is sponsored by the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NACCME). NACCME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. NACCME designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This activity has been planned and produced in accordance with the ACCME Essential Areas and Policies.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants accepts 2 AMA Category 1 credits for the PRA from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: ANCC: NACCME is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accreditted approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the PA State Nurses Association for 2 contact hours. Provider #:110-3-E-06. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 13255 for 2 contact hours.
Off-Label/Unapproved Usage Disclosure: This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Neither NACCME, Abbott, Bristol Myers-Squibb nor Centocor recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Sponsor: This activity is sponsored by NACCME.
Conflict of Interest Resolution-Content Validation: In compliance with ACCME Standards for Commercial Support and NACCME’s policy and procedure for resolving conflicts of interest, this continuing medical education activity was reviewed by Nathan Wei, MD, in March of 2008 for clinical content validity to ensure that the activity’s materials are fair, balanced, and free of bias toward the commercial supporters of the activity, and that activity materials represent a standard of practice within the profession in the U.S., and that any studies cited in the materials upon which recommendations are made are scientifically objective and conform to research principles generally accepted by the scientific community.
Successful Completion: Successful completion entails participants obtaining a score of at least 70% on the post-test. A certificate of completion will be mailed to the address listed on your post-test/evaluation form within six weeks of receipt of the documents.