Hepatitis C and COVID-19: What Clinicians in Rural and Underserved Areas Need to Know

This program has expired.

Jointly provided by RME Collaborative and Boston University School of Medicine

Release date: July 15, 2020

Expiration date: January 15, 2021

Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes

Program Overview
In the United States, approximately 2.4 million individuals are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Compared to a decade ago, there are now more than 3 times the number of acute cases, particularly among young, white injection drug users who live in rural areas. However, an estimated 1 million Americans are not aware that they are infected. As a result of the changing epidemiology and the availability of highly effective treatments, screening guidelines for HCV were recently updated. It is therefore critical for primary care clinicians to be aware of recent recommendations for universal screening. Additionally, with the advent of new, highly effective direct-acting antiviral therapy and the simplicity of these newer regimens, primary care clinicians can play a significant role in ensuring patients have access to treatment. Recently, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has introduced various challenges in providing routine care to patients with or at risk for HCV. In this activity, experts in the field review best practices for screening, treatment, and monitoring of HCV infection in the COVID-19 era. Strategies for overcoming barriers to HCV care in rural and underserved areas will also be discussed.

Please note that any data, information, and guidance presented in the activity are current as of the recording on July 7, 2020 and are subject to change.

Faculty
Nancy S. Reau, MD (Program Chair)
Richard B. Capps Chair of Hepatology
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition
Rush Medical College
Section Chief of Hepatology
Associate Director of Organ Transplantation
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL

Barbara P. Yawn, MD, MSc, MPH (Moderator)
Chief Science Officer, COPD Foundation
Professor of Family and Community Health
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Target Audience
This activity is designed specifically for primary care clinicians practicing in rural and underserved areas.

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

Apply current guidelines for age- and risk-based HCV screening
Implement effective follow-up and counseling for patients with confirmed diagnosis of HCV infection
Describe currently available and emerging treatment options for HCV infection
Incorporate evidence-based treatment guidelines into the effective management of patients with HCV infection

Accreditation
Physician Continuing Medical Education
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Boston University School of Medicine and RME Collaborative. Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Boston University School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

How to Obtain Credit
If you wish to receive CME credit, please follow instructions below:

Listen to the entire activity.
Go to http://www.bucme.org/getcredit and enter the activity code: MEN21397
Complete the activity evaluation form. A certificate of participation will be available to download/print immediately.

Disclosures of Conflicts of Interest
Boston University School of Medicine asks all individuals, and their spouses/partners, involved in the development and presentation of Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) activities to disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. This information is disclosed to all activity participants prior to the start of the educational activity. Boston University School of Medicine has procedures to resolve all conflicts of interest. In addition, faculty members are asked to disclose when any unapproved use of pharmaceuticals and devices is being discussed.

Faculty
Nancy S. Reau, MD, has disclosed the following relationships: consultant for AbbVie, Inc. and Gilead Sciences, Inc.; contracted research support from Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Barbara P. Yawn, MD, MSc, MPH, has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Planners and Managers
Robert Lowe, MD, CME Course Director, Boston University School of Medicine is a consultant for GI Reviewers.

The following planning committee members for this activity have no conflicts to disclose:

Michael Burk, Program Manager, Boston University School of Medicine, CME
Erica Rusie, PharmD, Scientific Director, Scientific Affairs, Talem Health, LLC

Acknowledgement
This activity is supported by an educational grant from AbbVie Inc.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
Faculty members do not discuss unlabeled/investigational uses of a commercial product.

Contact Us
For questions regarding this CME activity, please contact: RME Collaborative by phone, 800-913-9370 or email, info@talemhealth.com.

For any CME accreditation questions, please email the BUSM CME office at cme@bu.edu.

BUSM CME complies with the ADA and the rules and regulations thereof to make reasonable accommodations for our educational activities. If any participant in this educational activity is in need of accommodations, please contact BUSM CME at 617-358-5005.

Disclaimer
All programs, activities, and materials provided by Boston University Office of Continuing Medical Education or its associates are provided on the condition that they be used solely for educational purposes by qualified health care professionals. In no event shall Boston University or RME Collaborative be liable for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information contained in the continuing medical education programs, activities or materials. In no event should the information contained in the program be used as a substitute for professional care. No physician-patient relationship is being established.

Media
Internet activity

Computer System Requirements

Operating system: Windows or Macintosh
Supported browsers: HTML5-capable browser – Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+, Safari 9+
Hardware: computer, smartphone, or tablet
Broadband Internet connection: high-speed connection preferable

©RME Collaborative, a division of Talem Health, LLC 2020. All Rights Reserved. These materials may be used for personal use only. Any rebroadcast, distribution, or reuse of this presentation or any part of it in any form for other than personal use without the express written permission of Talem Health, LLC is prohibited.