Pain can present under myriad conditions and often occurs in concert with physical and mental health comorbidities. Various opioid risk assessment tools are available for providers and patients to determine the risk of utilizing opioids as part of a multi-modal treatment plan when treating patients for both acute and chronic pain. Providers need to practice using such tools in order to have candid discussions with patients about their personal risks associated with opioid treatments for pain.
In this CMEO BriefCase entitled, “Personalizing Pain Care: Use of Opioid Risk Assessment Tools in Pain Management,” expert faculty will discuss clinical strategies for assessing the risks and benefits of opioids and developing personalized pain management plans for patients.
Despite advances in the treatment and management of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation, significant disparities in both treatment and outcomes for patients from racial/ethnic underserved groups remain. In fact, race-based medicine, including prescribing specific treatments dependent on a patient’s race/ethnicity, is often still employed in clinical encounters in spite of a complete lack of evidence to support these outdated practices. As a result, preexisting racial/ethnic disparities in the diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions are only exacerbated by differential treatment, resulting in greater disparities in patient outcomes. It is imperative that each member of the multidisciplinary care team works together to address these disparities in order to improve equity in treatment and outcomes for all patients.
In this CMEO BriefCase, expert faculty will utilize case-based learning to illustrate these pervasive disparities through the stories of two patients, Francisco and Samantha, while offering strategies to address inequities in the treatment and outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation and complex cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Rao is Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the Director of Interventional Cardiology for the NYU Langone Health System. He graduated summa cum laude from Miami University in Oxford, OH, and magna cum laude from The Ohio State University College of Medicine where he won the David Saylor Memorial Award for Cardiology Research. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine and fellowships in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center. He served as Chief Fellow at The Duke Clinical Research Institute and was the Warren and Gloria A. Newman Fellow in Interventional Cardiology. After his training, he joined the faculty at Duke University Medical Center as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and rose to become Professor of Medicine in 2017. In 2005, he became the Director of the Catheterization Laboratories at the Durham VA Medical Center, and in 2014, he was appointed Chief of Cardiology at the Durham VA. Dr. Rao has won several awards as an attending physician including the W. Proctor Harvey Award from The American College of Cardiology (2011), and the Duke Cardiology Fellows’ Mentoring Award (2013, 2018), and The Duke Clinical Research Institute Robert M. Califf, MD Award for Fellow Mentoring (2020). In 2022, he was recruited to be the Director of Interventional Cardiology for the NYU Langone Health System
Monica Peek, MD, MPH, MSc is an Ellen H. Block Professor of Health Justice in the Department of Medicine. She is also the Associate Director, Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, and Director of Research, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. She is a practicing internist, medical educator, and clinician investigator. Her research pursues health equity and social justice, with a focus on promoting equitable doctor/patient relationships among racial minorities, integrating the medical and social needs of patients, and addressing health care discrimination and structural racism impacting health outcomes (e.g., diabetes, COVID-19). Dr. Peek has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts on health care disparities, diversity, and bias; has been the principal investigator of multiple grants to address health disparities; and has been invited to speak at numerous local and national medical meetings.
The management of pain is challenging for providers, added to that the challenges of communicating with patients affected by pain in compassionate, non-stigmatizing ways that facilitate shared decision-making and individualized care. Multimodal approaches that minimize risks and maximize benefits are available, but equitable access and availability is a barrier to effective multimodal pain treatment. Providers need education on individualizing multimodal pain management strategies to develop plans that fit the needs, priorities, and histories of individual patients and populations served.
This CMEO BriefCase entitled, Employing Multi-Modal Pain Management in a Low-Resource Setting, will review start-to-finish patient assessment and plan development for a patient with pain with consideration for their individual barriers to healthcare access.
The final episode of this CMEO BriefCase series on narcolepsy focuses on weighing different treatment plans and optimization, considering CV comorbidities, and individualizing care based on the patient’s lifestyle, QoL, and SDoH. This activity features a panel of experts in the field as well as capturing the patient perspective from the founder of Project Sleep, Julie Flygare.
Dr. Karl Doghramji is Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Medical Director of the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, also in Philadelphia. He is also Program Director of the Fellowship in Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Doghramji works as a clinician, researcher, educator, and physician leader, and has a national clinical and academic reputation in sleep medicine and biological psychiatry. He is actively engaged in interdisciplinary care with academic contributions in the fields of psychiatry, sleep medicine, otolaryngology, neurology, and pulmonary medicine.
Dr. Doghramji has been the recipient of 45 grants. He has authored 214 academic publications (85 peer-refereed papers, 121 book chapters and electronic media publications, and 8 books) and 63 abstracts. He has also made 236 presentations at national and international scientific sessions, symposia, and courses, including the annual meetings of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Doghramji serves as a reviewer for numerous medical journals.
An active member of many professional organizations, Dr. Doghramji has held numerous committee positions with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and has served as an examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. He was elected to the American College of Psychiatrists in 1994, Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 1998, and Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2017. He has been selected by Philadelphia Magazine for the list of “Top Doctors” for 15 years and by other similar publications such as U.S. News & World Report and Castle Connolly.
Dr. Doghramji received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College) and completed his internship in internal medicine at Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia, his residency in psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and his fellowship in sleep medicine at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York. He is also an Academic Associate in the Adult Division of the Institute of the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia.
Paul P. Doghramji, MD, FAAFP, is a Senior Family Physician with Collegeville Family Practice and Medical Director of Health Services for Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Doghramji earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and completed residency in Family Practice at Chestnut Hill Hospital. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and was awarded the AAFP Fellowship Degree in 2005. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Doghramji has been the recipient of the American Medical Association’s Physician Recognition Award in every qualifying year for 8 years. He has extensively published his research in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Medicine, Current Medical Research and Opinion, and Postgraduate Medicine. He has authored articles for numerous websites on topics such as sleep disorders, gout, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), biology of leg disorders, depression, chronic pain, health literacy, and diabetes. He is a co-author of the textbook Clinical Management of Insomnia, now in its second edition.
Julie Flygare, JD, is a leading ambassador for narcolepsy and sleep, and a strong advocate for patient-centered research. She is an accomplished speaker, Stanford Medicine X ePatient Scholar, and the award-winning author of Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy. As President & CEO of Project Sleep, Julie leads the organization’s patient-driven advocacy, awareness, and education programs. For over a decade, she has fostered a variety of successful collaborations including bringing together 29 patient advocacy organizations to co-lead World Narcolepsy Day and launching the Sleep Advocacy Forum to elevate the sleep community’s profile on the national policy stage. Julie has lectured at numerous professional meetings across the U.S. and keynoted conferences in Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Australia, and the United Kingdom. She has co-authored papers in peer-reviewed publications and authored a chapter in a narcolepsy clinical textbook. Julie received her BA from Brown University and her JD from Boston College Law School focusing on health law and rare disease drug development. Most recently, on March 20, 2022, she delivered a TEDx talk at San Diego State University to open people’s eyes to the importance of sleep health and sleep disorders.
Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD, is the Benjamin and Virginia T. Boshes Professor in Neurology and Professor of Neurobiology at Northwestern University. She is also the Director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine (CCSM) and Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As Director of CCSM, Dr. Zee oversees an interdisciplinary program in basic and translational sleep and circadian rhythm research, and findings from her team have paved the way for innovative approaches to improve sleep and circadian health.
A central theme of Dr. Zee’s research program is understanding the role of circadian-sleep interactions on the expression and development of cardiometabolic and neurologic disorders. Her research has focused on the effects of age and neurodegeneration on sleep and circadian rhythms and pathophysiology of sleep-wake disorders. In addition, her laboratory is studying the effects of circadian-sleep–based interventions, such as exercise, bright light, and feed-fast schedules on cognitive, cardiovascular, and metabolic functions and their potential to delay cardiometabolic aging and neurodegeneration.
Dr. Zee also has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed original articles, reviews, and chapters on the topics of sleep, circadian rhythms, and sleep/wake disorders. She has also trained over 50 pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students and has mentored numerous faculty members. Dr. Zee is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Neurology, and a member of the American Neurological Association. She has served on numerous national and international committees, NIH scientific review panels, and international advisory boards. She is past President of the Sleep Research Society, past President of the Sleep Research Foundation, past Chair of the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board, a past member of the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Disorders Advisory Council, and the current President-Elect of the World Sleep Society. Dr. Zee is the recipient of the 2011 American Academy of Neurology Sleep Science Award, the 2014 American Academy of Sleep Medicine academic honor, the William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award, the 2020 Sleep Research Society Distinguished Scientist Award, and the 2021 NSF Lifetime Achievement Award.
The first episode of this CMEO BriefCase series on narcolepsy focuses on screening for narcolepsy based on patient presentation, description of function, and changes in QoL to facilitate initiation of a treatment plan to optimize patient outcomes.
Paul P. Doghramji, MD, FAAFP, is a Senior Family Physician with Collegeville Family Practice and Medical Director of Health Services for Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Doghramji earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and completed residency in Family Practice at Chestnut Hill Hospital. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and was awarded the AAFP Fellowship Degree in 2005. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Doghramji has been the recipient of the American Medical Association’s Physician Recognition Award in every qualifying year for 8 years. He has extensively published his research in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Medicine, Current Medical Research and Opinion, and Postgraduate Medicine. He has authored articles for numerous websites on topics such as sleep disorders, gout, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), biology of leg disorders, depression, chronic pain, health literacy, and diabetes. He is a co-author of the textbook Clinical Management of Insomnia, now in its second edition.
Dr. Bogan is the President of Bogan Sleep Consultants, LLC. He is also Associate Clinical Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
Dr. Bogan received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wofford College and his MD degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He served his internship and residency, as well as Chief Medical Resident, at the University of Alabama Hospital and Clinics in Birmingham. Thereafter, he completed a fellowship and assistant professorship in the Pulmonary Division of the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He has been certified by the American boards of Sleep Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pulmonary Diseases.
Dr. Bogan has served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials in the past and continues to do so now. He has a variety of publications and research interests that focus on topics such as narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia, and circadian rhythm abnormality.
The second episode of this CMEO BriefCase series on narcolepsy focuses on distinguishing narcolepsy from other disorders, with expert faculty demonstrating how to choose, implement, and interpret screening and diagnostic tools.
Dr. Bogan is the President of Bogan Sleep Consultants, LLC. He is also Associate Clinical Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
Dr. Bogan received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wofford College and his MD degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He served his internship and residency, as well as Chief Medical Resident, at the University of Alabama Hospital and Clinics in Birmingham. Thereafter, he completed a fellowship and assistant professorship in the Pulmonary Division of the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He has been certified by the American boards of Sleep Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pulmonary Diseases.
Dr. Bogan has served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials in the past and continues to do so now. He has a variety of publications and research interests that focus on topics such as narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia, and circadian rhythm abnormality.
Dr. Thorpy is a Professor of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center in the Department of Neurology at Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York. In addition to treating patients with sleep disorders, he conducts research in narcolepsy, insomnia, and sleep apnea. He is President of the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine, Past President of the Sleep Section of the Academy of Neurology, and Past Secretary of the National Sleep Foundation. In 1993 Dr. Thorpy received the Nathaniel Kleitman Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, one of the field’s highest honors, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Sleep Foundation.
Born in New Zealand, Dr. Thorpy earned his medical degree from the University of Otago Medical School. After receiving postgraduate training in Dunedin, New Zealand; Bombay, India; and London, England, he completed his residency in neurology at the State University of New York in Syracuse and a neuroendocrinology fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Thorpy is board certified in sleep medicine.
He has published extensively on narcolepsy, insomnia, and sleep disorders. He chaired the first International Classification of Sleep Disorders and has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, including publications in journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine. His numerous books include The Encyclopedia of Sleep and Sleep Disorders, Parasomnias (2010), Sleepiness (2011), Neuroimaging of Sleep and Sleep Disorders (2012), Genetics of Sleep and Sleep Disorders (2013), Narcolepsy: a Clinical Guide (2016), and SleepMultiMedia, The Computerized Textbook of Sleep Medicine (v12).0 (2023).
Dr. Thorpy has given more than 100 television, radio, and print interviews on sleep disorders.