Depression Activity 1

More than 23 million Americans, or nearly 8 percent of the population, have diabetes. (1) A total of 1.6 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people ages 20 years or older in 2007. (1) Diabetes and its complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. However, it is not inevitable that more Americans develop type 2 diabetes, nor is it inevitable that people with diabetes experience the long-term complications such as lower limb amputations, kidney failure, and premature death. There are successful interventions for delaying and potentially preventing the development of type 2 diabetes, managing type 2 diabetes effectively, and preventing complications responsible for diminished quality of life and shortened life expectancy. Family physicians largely determine the quality of diabetes care in the United States and, as such, are instrumental in proving primary prevention and risk reduction efforts.

1. National diabetes statistics, 2007. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse,, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/PUBS/statistics/#allages. Accessed April 29, 2009.

This program is supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.

In Quality Management of Type 2 Diabetes: Approach to Medical Treatment, the first video discussion of our educational series on type 2 diabetes, join Dr. John Russell, a practicing family physician, as he poses his burning clinical questions about diabetes management to Dr. Serena Cardillo, an endocrinologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Their discussion will focus on the subtleties of using antihyperglycemic medications, challenges and considerations when introducing insulin, use of blood glucose monitoring to guide treatment and the importance of CVD risk reduction.

This program is supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.

In the third activity of our series on type 2 diabetes, The Role of Diabetes Education in Optimizing Glycemic Control and Improving Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes, Frances Love, MSN, RN, CDE, BC-ADM, provides her perspective as a diabetes educator regarding the essential elements of diabetes education and discusses the applicable practice guidelines. Video dramatizations demonstrate appropriate patient instruction about blood glucose monitoring and insulin injection techniques.

This program is supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.

In Challenging Cases in Effective Management of Type 2 Diabetes, faculty present three patient scenarios (adolescent, mid-life and elderly) likely to be seen and managed in a primary care setting. While typical, each case integrates a degree of complexity related to diagnosis, treatment or both. Join Dr. John Russell, a practicing family physician, and Dr. Serena Cardillo, an endocrinologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, as they discuss these cases, examine important issues and guidelines related to their management, and offer family physicians insights into more challenging aspects of diabetes care.

This program is supported by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.

This video presentation is the first activity in the series and provides family physicians with vital information on how to improve processes and outcomes in pain management including recognition and treatment of pain, and management of pain in patients with current, past, or potential for substance abuse.

This program is supported by an educational grant from

In the second activity faculty will address primary concerns of family physicians regarding the management of chronic pain in patients at risk or with a history of addiction. Emphasis will be placed on risk assessment, treatment approach, diversion and addiction behaviors, and medical legal considerations when prescribing opioid therapy in high-risk patients. Discussants will review tools and resources available to assist the family physician throughout this process.

This program is supported by an educational grant from

In the third activity in our chronic pain series, Dr. Penny Tenzer and Dr. Dawn Marcus provide practical strategies to address pain management issues commonly faced in family practice, including fitting chronic pain management into the time constraints of an office visit and minimizing staff burnout.

This program is supported by an educational grant from

Disparities in Care: Special Populations in Pain Management, the fourth activity in the AAFPlearninglink.org Chronic Pain series will provide insight into how age, gender and ethnicity impact the diagnosis and management of pain and discuss specific tools and strategies to facilitate pain management in these patient populations.

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Practical Aspects of Chronic Pain Management: A Case-based Approach, the fifth activity in the AAFPlearninglink.org Chronic Pain series includes 3 case vignettes that are used to demonstrate and reinforce issues and challenges family physicians often encounter when treating patients with chronic pain: 1) managing a new patient requesting a refill of pain medication, 2) negotiating treatment goals and managing residual pain, and 3) caring for elderly patients with chronic pain. Knowledge and concepts reviewed in the previous 4 activities within this series will be applied.

This program is supported by an educational grant from

In Managing Coexisting Pain and Depression, the sixth activity in the AAFPlearninglink.org Chronic Pain series, a video case dramatization is used to demonstrate the process of care when chronic pain and depression are present. Dr. Judith Turner and Dr. Michael Klinkman will use the case to discuss clinical decision-making, the therapeutic partnership, diagnostic and monitoring tools, and strategies to effectively manage depression in patients with chronic pain.

This program is supported by an educational grant from