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About This Course

This program is designed to assist health care providers improve their pulmonary disease education knowledge and skill in an effort to improve long-term pulmonary disease care and improve patient quality of life. At the conclusion of this program, the participant will be able to identify key components of pulmonary disease education and apply their knowledge to the education and management of patients with COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, and pulmonary hypertension.

Criteria for successful completion includes viewing all course videos in their entirety as well as scoring 70% or higher on the post-course test. To receive your certificate of completion after passing your quiz, complete the post course Survey and Submit Credit.

The AARC produced this educational course with support from the following organizations: Allergy & Asthma Network, American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), American Lung Association, COPD Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Seminar Objectives

Explain the pathophysiology of COPD; describe the methods of diagnosis; identify treatment strategies; and describe components of assessment for a patient with COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension

Discuss disease management and disease self-management

Identify the role of pulmonary functions for chronic lung disease

Identify currently available pulmonary medications and their indications

Describe the physiological benefit of supplemental oxygen Explain the scientific factors supporting tobacco cessation

Identify respiratory changes that indicate the presence of a pulmonary disease exacerbation

Describe the effects of malnutrition on patients with pulmonary disease

Identify the qualifying measures for listing a patient for lung transplantation

Identify the role of palliative care in chronic lung disease

Describe the essential components of a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program

Discuss effective discharge planning

Identify essential components of effective communication and patient education

Discuss the importance of measuring outcomes to the success of the chronic disease management program

Chapters

This presentation will provide an overview of significant changes to Medicare’s discharge planning process and highlight opportunities for healthcare providers to play a greater role in ensuring their patient’s post-discharge care needs are identified.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Name the 5 key standards in the Discharge Planning Hospital Conditions of Participation.
  • Describe one or two elements of each standard.
  • Name the Medicare requirements for reimbursement of commonly ordered respiratory DME.
  • Describe key roles in improving transitions.

This video is approximately 43 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Krystal Craddock BS, RRT, RRT-NPS, CCM

This video introduces the learner to the AARC Pulmonary Disease Educator course.

This video is approximately 3 minutes in length.

Speaker Information

Disclosures:

There is no conflict of interest for anyone with the ability to control content for this activity except for:

  • Richard Casaburi MD, MEng, PhD: The presenter discloses relationships with Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Astra Zeneca.
  • Dabney Eidson BS, RRT, RRT-NPS: The presenter discloses relationships with Chiesi Pharmaceuticals.
  • Karen Gregory DNP, RRT, AE-C, FAARC: speaking relationships with Novartis, Monaghan Medical, and ALK

This presentation will discuss the policies and regulations addressing lung transplantation and when the chronic pulmonary disease patient may qualify for lung transplantation in addition to pre- and post-lung transplantation patient care.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Identify the qualifying measures for listing a patient for lung transplantation
  • Discuss the self-management behaviors necessary for maintaining status on the transplantation list
  • Discuss the challenges in adhering to a pre-lung transplantation program
  • Identify the health behaviors necessary for wellness post-transplantation
  • Discuss the role of the health care provider in assisting the patient post-transplant

This video is approximately 19 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • David Mason MD

This presentation will discuss the importance of measuring outcomes to the success of the chronic disease management program. In addition, reimbursement and meaningful outcomes measures will be discussed.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Discuss the importance of measuring outcomes to the success of the chronic disease management program
  • Identify meaningful outcomes measures
  • Discuss reimbursement
  • This video is approximately 15 minutes in length.
Speaker Information
  • Sarah Varekojis PhD, RRT, FAARC

This presentation will identify the key components to a comprehensive disease management program and discuss the necessary skills of an effective disease manager.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Identify the key components to a comprehensive disease management program
  • Describe the importance of and the barriers to patient self-management
  • Identify the skills necessary to be an effective disease manager

This video is approximately 54 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Timothy Myers MBA, RRT, RRT-NPS, FAARC

This presentation will discuss palliative care throughout the spectrum of chronic pulmonary disease, beginning with diagnosis and progressing through end-of-life care.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Differentiate between palliative care and hospice
  • Identify appropriate timing to initiate hospice
  • Discuss palliative care in the context of chronic lung disease

This video is approximately 23 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Shawna Strickland PhD, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS, AE-C, FAARC

The first 6 videos in the course focus on COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension.

For each of the disease processes, the participant will be able to:

  • Explain the pathophysiology of lung cancer
  • Describe the methods of lung cancer diagnosis
  • Identify treatment strategies for lung cancer
  • Describe components of assessment for a patient with lung cancer

The COPD video is approximately 49 minutes in length and is sponsored by the COPD Foundation.

The asthma video is approximately 60 minutes in length and is sponsored by the Allergy & Asthma Network.

The cystic fibrosis video is approximately 54 minutes in length and is sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The lung cancer video is approximately 44 minutes in length and is sponsored by the American Lung Association.

The interstitial lung disease video is approximately 27 minutes in length.

The pulmonary hypertension video is approximately 44 minutes in length and is sponsored by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Speaker Information
  • COPD: Richard Casaburi MD, MEng, PhD
  • Asthma: Bradley Chipps MD
  • Cystic Fibrosis: Dabney Eidson BS, RRT, RRT-NPS
  • Lung Cancer: Albert Rizzo MD
  • Interstitial Lung Disease: Shawna Strickland PhD, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS, AE-C, FAARC
  • Pulmonary Hypertension: Martha Kingman DNP, FNP-C”

This presentation will discuss the essential components of effective communication and patient education, including basic adult learning theory, barriers to learning, and transitional care.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Identify essential components of effective communication and patient education
  • Describe basic adult learning theory
  • Identify barriers to learning
  • Discuss issues with transitional care

This video is approximately 43 minutes in length.

This presentation is sponsored by Allergy & Asthma Network.

Speaker Information
  • Tonya Winders, MBA

This presentation will discuss currently available pulmonary medications and their indications, delivery methods, and medication interaction.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • List currently available pulmonary medications
  • Describe indications for various pulmonary medications based on scientific evidence and use in specific disease processes
  • Determine appropriate delivery method for inhaled medications based on patient cognition, physical ability, and preference

This video is approximately 1 hour and 23 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Timothy Myers MBA, RRT, RRT-NPS, FAARC

This presentation will discuss malnutrition in the context of pulmonary disease and developing nutrition strategies for patients with pulmonary disease.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Describe the measurement of malnutrition
  • Describe the effects of malnutrition on patients with pulmonary disease
  • Develop a nutrition strategy for patients with pulmonary disease

This video is approximately 24 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Karen Gregory DNP, RRT, AE-C, FAARC

This presentation will assist the participant in differentiating the various types of pulmonary function tests and their use among the disease processes discussed in the course as well as identifying disease severity based on pulmonary function test results.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Define three types of pulmonary function tests
  • Review reference equations/predicted values/lower limits of normal
  • Describe quality testing criteria
  • Describe and review lung volumes and capacities
  • Identify specific pulmonary abnormalities with pulmonary function tests
  • Identify disease severity with pulmonary function tests

This video is approximately 47 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Curt Merriman BA, RRT, CPFT

This presentation will define pulmonary rehabilitation and describe the essential components of a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Define pulmonary rehabilitation
  • Describe the essential components of a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program
  • Explain the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation

This video is approximately 1 hour and 13 minutes in length.

This presentation is sponsored by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Speaker Information
  • Trina Limberg BS, RRT, FAARC, MAACVPRT

This presentation will assist the learner in identifying respiratory changes that indicate the presence of pulmonary disease exacerbation and determining appropriate interventions for various severity levels of exacerbations.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Identify respiratory changes that indicate the presence of a pulmonary disease exacerbation
  • Recognize the severity level of an exacerbation
  • Determine appropriate interventions for various severity levels of exacerbations

This video is approximately 27 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Karen Gregory DNP, RRT, AE-C, FAARC

This presentation will describe the physiologic benefit of supplemental oxygen while also assisting the health care professional in differentiating between home systems and determining the appropriate delivery system to meet patient need.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Describe the physiological benefit of supplemental oxygen
  • Differentiate between various home oxygen delivery systems
  • Determine appropriate delivery system to meet patient need

This video is approximately 37 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Curt Merriman BA, RRT, CPFT

 

This presentation will explain the scientific factors supporting tobacco cessation, general approaches to smoking cessation, and pharmacologic agents in tobacco cessation programs.

At the end of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

  • Explain the scientific factors supporting tobacco cessation
  • Identify general approaches to smoking cessation
  • Explain the pharmacologic agents employed in a tobacco cessation program.
  • Identify the barriers to tobacco cessation
  • Describe motivational interviewing
  • Demonstrate effective motivational interviewing skills.

The video for part 1 is approximately 23 minutes in length and part 2 is approximately 22 minutes in length.

Speaker Information
  • Sarah Varekojis PhD, RRT, FAARC