PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Patients with severe COVID-19 who require mechanical ventilation are at increased risk for invasive fungal infections (IFIs), which increase morbidity and mortality. As part of a CDC Cooperative agreement, the faculty for the COVID-19–associated Fungal Infections Educational Initiative (https://covidandfungus.org/) have developed a series of tools for diagnosing and managing these IFIs. In this interactive, case-based activity, expert faculty members weigh in on challenging COVID-19–associated IFI cases submitted by community clinicians. The faculty members illustrate how to address IFI diagnostic and management challenges in order to optimize patient outcomes.

CME/CE Information

Title: COVID-19–Associated Invasive Fungal Infections: Expert Guidance on Cases From the Community

Release Date: 8/24/2021
Expiration Date: 8/23/2022
Estimated Time to Complete the Activity: 1.5 hrs
Media: Interactive, text-based activity

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Identify patients with COVID-19 who are at risk for COVID-19–associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and other COVID-19–associated invasive fungal infections (CA-IFIs)
• Perform appropriate diagnostic tests for CAPA and CA-IFIs in at-risk patients with COVID-19
• Select appropriate antifungal therapy for patients with CA-IFIs
• Optimize the pharmacologic aspects of antifungal therapy in patients with CA-IFIs

Target Audience

This activity is directed to physicians with specialties in infectious diseases, pulmonary/critical care medicine, and pathology/laboratory medicine as well as other healthcare providers who care for patients with severe COVID-19.

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM); Terranova Medica, LLC; and the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC), Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education

The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires faculty, planners, and others in control of educational content to disclose all their financial relationships with ineligible companies. All identified conflicts of interest (COI) are thoroughly vetted and mitigated according to PIM policy. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high-quality accredited continuing education activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of an ineligible company.

The faculty reported the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities related to the educational content of this CE activity:

Faculty Disclosures

George R. Thompson, III, MD, FACP
CONSULTANT: Cidara, Mayne, F2G, Astellas, Amplyx
DATA REVIEW COMMITTEE: Pfizer

Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, MD, ScD, FACP, FIDSA, PhD Hon, FECMM, FAAM, FAAAS
CONSULTANT: AbbVie, Amplyx, Cidara
FEES FOR NON-CE SERVICES RECEIVED DIRECTLY FROM AN INELIGIBLE ENTITY OR THEIR AGENTS: Gilead
CONTRACTED RESEARCH: Gilead, Astellas

Minh-Hong Thi Nguyen, MD
CONSULTANT: Scanogen
CONTRACTED RESEARCH: Merck, Astellas, SCYNEXIS Inc., Pulmocide, F2G, T2 Biosystems   

Managers and Planning Committee Disclosures

MSGERC, PIM, Terranova Medica, LLC, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) planners and others have nothing to disclose.

Method of Participation and Request for Credit

There are no fees for participating and receiving CME/CE credit for this activity. During the accreditation period, participants must read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures and study the educational activity.

If you wish to receive acknowledgment for completing this activity, please follow the steps below:

1. Register and complete all the sections
2. Complete all the online Posttest sections with a score of 75% or better
3. Once you complete the Posttest, a link to the evaluation on the CME University website will be unlocked
4. On the CME University website, log in or create a new account (will take less than 1 minute)
   1. If you receive a message when creating a new account that “the email you entered is already in use," please click the Forgot my Username or Password link to have your Username and Password sent to you via email
   2. After logging in, you may be asked to verify/update your information; after doing so, click Save at the bottom of the page
5. Upon completion of the evaluation, you will receive an immediate CME Certificate to download and/or print for your files  

Media

Internet

Computer System Requirements

To participate, you will need access to a computer (either MAC or PC), tablet, or smart phone, with a Chrome (version 22.0.1229.94 or greater) web browser, Firefox (version 3.6 or greater) web browser or an Internet Explorer (version 8.0 or greater) web browser, JavaScript enabled, connected to the Internet (high speed connection preferred).

Privacy Policy

Terranova Medica, LLC, and PIM are committed to protecting the privacy of those who choose to participate in activities on funguscme.org. This information below describes our security policies for safeguarding personal information as well as the rationale for collection and use of personal information.

Security/safeguarding personal information
This website has physical and procedural safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized access to personal information used to access this website.

Collection and use of personal information
Terranova Medica, LLC, and PIM do not transfer, sell, or share personal information with outside parties. We will not disclose the information unless required in a legal proceeding.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Additional Information

There is no charge for this activity.

Jointly provided by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine; Terranova Medica, LLC; and the Mycoses Study Group Education & Research Consortium.

This educational initiative was funded in part by a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CFD-RFA-CK20-2003) to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is collaborating with the Mycoses Study Group Education & Research Consortium and Terranova Medica, LLC, on this initiative. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this resource center do not necessarily represent the policy of CDC or HHS and should not be considered an endorsement by the Federal Government.

For further information, contact Tom Davis by telephone (877-276-4523), or by email (tdavis@terranovamedica.com).

If you have any questions regarding the CME/CE certification for this activity, please contact Postgraduate Institute for Medicine at: inquiries@pimed.com or (303) 799-1930.

Copyright © 2021 PIM, MSGERC, and Terranova Medica.