Advancing Excellence in HIV Health Care Education

The American Academy of HIV Medicine is pleased to present two new educational pieces: The AAHIVM HIV Medicine Self-Directed Study Guide: 2004 Update and Practical Management of HIV: a regional one-day workshop series. Both of these new initiatives have been developed as a part of the Academy's Self-Directed HIV Medicine Education Program. This program, which also includes the AAHIVM Core Curriculum, establishes a standard in health care education and training that can improve the quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients, improve outcomes, and contribute to a more coordinated approach to HIV care. Private practices, medical groups, specialty organizations, and other institutions can use these tools to help their members keep up with recent changes in HIV knowledge.

The HIV Medicine Self-Directed Study Guide: 2004 Update

The 2004 Update offers HIV health care providers a centralized resource of up-to-date information. It compiles the background information and key data for each of the 41 Recent Learning Objectives of the Academy's 2004 Core Curriculum. These objectives address the most important new clinical HIV information presented and published in the past 18 months. Designed to be used in a wide variety of HIV medicine educational efforts by many different individuals and organizations, the 2004 Update includes detailed narratives with tables, figures, and key points and offers continuing education credit.

In contrast to the 2003 edition of the Study Guide, which covers all of the 214 Learning Objectives of the 2003 AAHIVM Core Curriculum, the 2004 Update focuses only on the 41 Recent Learning Objectives listed in the 2004 AAHIVM Core Curriculum. It is a single volume of approximately 200 pages, covering four parts: Overview of HIV Infection, Approach to the Patient With HIV, Clinical Manifestations of HIV Infection, and Principles of Antiretroviral Therapy. To view the updated Learning Objectives and Study Guide faculty information, visit the Academy's Web site (www.aahivm.org).

The Academy has partnered with Medical Education Collaborative to provide continuing education credit (CME/CEUs) for knowledge and information achieved by users of the 2004 Update. Table 1 (see below) lists the maximum number of continuing education hours available for each practice area.

Practical Management of HIV: A Regional One-Day Workshop Series

To help frontline HIV care providers stay up-to-date in HIV medicine, the Academy has created a workshop series to present the Recent Learning Objectives of the AAHIVM Core Curriculum in a concise one-day format offering continuing education credit. Five or six workshops will be held throughout the U.S. this year, the first in Los Angeles on June 12.

The workshop series has been developed for frontline clinicians by frontline clinicians and is appropriate for physicians, physician assistants, clinical pharmacists, and nurse practitioners who practice HIV care. Academy members registering early for the workshop series will receive a discounted price of $45 (nonmembers $85). An Academy member discount is also offered to late registrants at $65 (nonmembers $105). Please let your colleagues know that those joining the Academy at the workshop will be entitled to a $40 rebate.

This workshop will cover, among other things:

• Interactions among antiretroviral medications and recommended dose requirements

• Research on multidrug rescue therapy

• Important mutations associated with resistance

• Metabolic complications of therapy

• Risk of cardiovascular disease associated with HIV

• Latest guidelines on initiating HIV therapy

• Dosing for recently FDA-approved therapies

• Managing hepatitis B and hepatitis C in HIV-positive patients

• Current CDC guidelines on HIV and STD risk assessment and reduction counseling

• Pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis for nonoccupational settings

The Practical Management of HIV workshop series will also include a Patient-Centered HIV/HCV Practice luncheon presented by Physicians Practice. The goal of the luncheon program is to help HIV care providers who treat HIV/HCV-positive patients to spend more time focusing on patient care and less time on paperwork and office inefficiencies, thus improving the overall delivery of health care. This luncheon is complimentary upon registration. In addition, one office employee for each registered workshop participant may also participate in this luncheon program at no additional cost. To register your office employee at no charge, please call 1-800-252-9684 or e-mail info@physicianspractice.com.

For more information about this workshop series, please visit the conference page at the Academy's Web site (www.aahivm.org) or call toll-free 866-241-9601.

Back to The Nexus Spring 2004 contents page.