A continuing medical education and nursing continuing professional development activity provided by NAMCP and AAMCN.
This activity is an archive from the live session from the 2025 Fall Managed Care Forum. If you participated in the live session, you are not eligible for continuing education credits from this archive.
This activity is valid from March 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027
Instructions for CME/NCPD: Complete the pre-test, listen to the audio and view the slides, complete the evaluation and post test. You will be asked to enter your name and email address on the pre-test, evaluation and post-test. If you close your internet browser without completing the post test, you will have ONE more opportunity to complete it. A score of 70% must be achieved on the post test to receive continuing education credits. If you do not pass the post test after two attempts, you will not be eligible to try again. Once you complete the evaluation form and score 70% or higher on your post test, you will automatically be given your certificate. To print or save your certificate, you will need to click on the "download" button after completing the post test.
Audience: This activity is intended for healthcare professionals practicing in managed care environments.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from
AstraZeneca
Description:
Hyperkalemia, also known has high potassium, is an elevated level of potassium in the blood. Normal potassium levels are between 3.5 and 5.0 mmol/L with levels above 5.5 mmol/L defined as hyperkalemia. Typically, this results in no symptoms, but occasionally when severe it results in palpitations, muscle pain, muscle weakness, or numbness. Decreased kidney function is a major cause of hyperkalemia, especially in chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, and heart failure. Chronic hyperkalemia is a challenging clinical problem associated with increased mortality in patients with CKD and HF. The risk of hyperkalemia is also a limiting factor in using renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and diabetes. Hyperkalemia occurs in up to 10% of hospitalized patients and is associated with increased morbidity if left unaddressed. Fortunately for patients who experience hyperkalemia, new therapies have become available in recent years that have shown improved efficacy and safety in lowering potassium levels and improving patient outcomes. Additionally, some of these options have shown the ability in recent clinical trials to reduce arrhythmia-related cardiovascular outcomes in patients with hyperkalemia. With these new options becoming available, and more on the horizon, a knowledge gap has been found among physician medical directors, practicing physicians, pharmacists, and nurse case managers as the treatment paradigm is evolving. For this reason, it is critical that these HCPs are educated and updated on these new options and strategies for their implementation into the treatment paradigm, the role of potassium binders in managing hyperkalemia and also improving cardiovascular outcomes, including throughout formulary and health plan discussions, which will ultimately improve both clinical and cost outcomes in the hyperkalemia patient population.
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
Faculty:
Robert Toto, MD, FACP
Professor of Internal Medicine and Public Health
Principal Investigator, UT Southwestern CTSA Program
Director, Kidney and Liver Clinic UT Southwestern
Disclosure Information:
As accredited providers, NAMCP and AAMCN must ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of their activities. All faculty participating in this activity are required to disclose to NAMCP/AAMCN any financial relationships with ineligible companies. NAMCP/AAMCN in turn discloses all relevant financial conflicts to the learners. NAMCP/AAMCN disclosure policy adheres to The Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity. See below for conflicts of interest.
Disclosures (Relevant Financial Relationships with Ineligible Companies in the Last 24 Months):
Dr. Toto has served as a consultant for Epo-K. He has received grant/research support from Vertex. He has served on a DSMB for AstraZeneca and Alnylam. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.
Planning Committee Disclosures (Relevant Financial Relationships with Ineligible Companies in the Last 24 Months):
Bill Williams, MD has no relevant financial relationship with an ineligible company to disclose.
Jeremy Williams has no relevant financial relationship with an ineligible company to disclose.
Jacqueline Cole, RN, MS, CMCN has no relevant financial relationship with an ineligible company to disclose.
NAMCP and/or the presenter has copyright or has received permissions for use of materials provided in this activity.
Accreditation & Designation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP) and American Association of Managed Care Nurses (AAMCN). The National Association of Managed Care Physicians is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
NAMCP designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)TM. Each physician should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The American Association of Managed Care Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Nurses who complete this activity and achieve a passing score will receive 1 hour in nursing continuing professional development.
This activity has been approved by the American Board of Managed Care Nursing for 1.0 contact hours toward CMCN recertification requirements.
NAMCP and/or this website do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. NAMCP does not endorse or imply endorsement of the content on any linked website. This website is to be used as an informational resource. With any health-related concern, consult with your physician or healthcare professional.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from
AstraZeneca
NAMCP and/or this website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. NAMCP does not endorse or imply endorsement of the content on any linked website. This website is to be used as an informational resource. With any health related concern, consult with your physician or healthcare professional.