Heart Failure: Expanding Destination Therapy - What Can We Expect in the Future?

Despite many medical advances and overall improving outcomes, end stage heart failure (HF) is inevitable for some patients. While experimentation continues towards medical and biologic interventions aimed at end-stage HF, by far the greatest progress has been made in mechanical circulatory support, which is now a potential option to a wide range of patients. This success has been a long time in coming but, it has now reached a critical stage where therapeutic success of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) make them an increasingly viable option in the non-transplant candidate. Dr. Robert L. Kormos will discuss requirements and regulations to support management of end-stage heart failure (HF) for the non-transplant candidate to improve patient outcomes.

Target Audience

Cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists, general internists, intensivists, critical care physicians, emergency medicine physicians, hospitalists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists and other interested healthcare providers.

Learning Objectives

  • Discuss the key indications, risk factors for survival and adverse events for destination therapy for the management of end-stage heart failure (HF). 
  • List key elements of institutional infrastructure to support HF destination therapy and regulatory requirements to perform HF destination therapy. 
  • Implement strategies to support management of end-stage heart failure (HF) for the non-transplant candidate, and improve patient outcomes. 
Additional information
Bibliography: 

Hrobowski, T., & Lanfear, D. E. (2013). Ventricular assist devices: is destination therapy a viable alternative in the non-transplant candidate?. Current heart failure reports, 10(1), 101-107.

Course Summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.25 General certificate of attendance
  • 1.00 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.25 Florida Board of Pharmacy
Course opens: 
02/01/2018
Course expires: 
02/01/2020

Robert L. Kormos, M.D., FRCS(C), FACS, FAHA 
Brack G. Hattler Professor of Cardiothoracic Transplantation
Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Bioengineering
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery 
Heart and Vascular Institute
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Robert L. Kormos, M.D. indicated that neither he nor his spouse/partner has relevant financial relationships with commercial interest companies, and he will not include off-label or unapproved product usage in his presentation or discussion.

Non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development, and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

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Baptist Health South Florida is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Baptist Health has been re-surveyed by the ACCME and awarded Commendation for 6 years as a provider of CME for physicians.
              
Baptist Health South Florida designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Available Credit

  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.25 General certificate of attendance
  • 1.00 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.25 Florida Board of Pharmacy
Please login or register for a Baptist Health CME account to take this course.

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