Original Release Date: June 2009
Date of Last CME Review: May 2009
Expiration Date: May 30, 2012

DESCRIPTION:
The American Heart Association’s Stroke Hospital-Based Care Online Course is designed to train hospital-based healthcare providers in the latest AHA/ASA guidelines for recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. 

Four interactive cases present a patient with potential stroke-related complaints and prompts participants to assess, diagnose, prescribe treatment, and make management decisions.  At the end of each case, learners are presented with a debriefing that includes key decision points and a case score. The learner may click on any item for additional reinforcement of the course learning objective.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Classify stroke and explain stroke type-specific treatments; Recognize signs and symptom of stroke and recall their differential diagnoses; Demonstrate the use of one or two stroke screening tools to identify patients with suspected stroke and demonstrate understanding of the NIH Stroke Scale; Explain why timely action of 7Ds of stroke care are crucial; Apply the ACLS Suspected Stroke Algorithm, including NINDS time goals and the activation of stroke team; Recall general eligibility criteria for fibrinolytic therapy; and Identify important factors in the initial management of the acutely neurologically injured patient.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT:

CERTIFICATION TERMS:
• ACCME/AMA (Physicians) – May 31, 2009 – May 30, 2012
• AACN (Nurses) – May 31, 2009 – November 30, 2009
• ANCC (Nurses) – December 1, 2009 – May 30, 2012
• ACPE (Pharmacists) – May 31, 2009 – May 30, 2012
• CECBEMS (EMS Practitioners) – May 31, 2009 – May 30, 2012

ACCREDITATION/CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENTS:

Continuing Medical Education Accreditation - Physicians
The American Heart Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Heart Association designates this educational activity for a maximum of 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

All faculty participating in CME/CE activities sponsored by The American Heart Association will disclose to the audience (1) significant financial relationships with the manufacturer(s) of products from the commercial supporter(s) and /or the manufacturer(s) of products or devices discussed in their presentation, and (2) unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices discussed in their presentation.  Such disclosures will be made in writing in course presentation materials.

Continuing Medical Education Accreditation – Physician Assistants
AAPA accepts Category I credit from AOACCME, Prescribed credit from AAFP, and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME.

Continuing Education Accreditation - Nurses
This program (09-NC-240) has been approved by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) for 2.00 Contact Hours, Category A, file number 00014666.

Continuing Education Accreditation - Nurses
The American Heart Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 
The maximum number of hours awarded for this CE activity is 2.0 contact hours.

Continuing Education Accreditation – Pharmacists

The American Heart Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.  ACPE Credit:  2.25 Contact Hours or 0.225 CEUs. Universal Program Number: 256-000-09-616-H01-P.
 
Successful completion of this CME/CE activity includes completion of the following: 7 checkpoints including passing the four stroke cases and evaluation form. Once successful completion has been achieved, a CME/CE certificate can be claimed immediately by selecting the “Certificates and CE” button, then select the “Request for CE” button, select the appropriate profile and answer appropriate questions relating to your profile, select the “My CE certificate” and print your CME/CE certificate.

Continuing Education Accreditation – Emergency Medical Services
This continuing education activity is approved by the American Heart Association, an organization accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS), for 2.25 Advanced CEHs, activity number 09-AMHA-F3-0065.

Disclosures:
I. Instructions for Independent Study
Successful completion of this CE activity includes the following:
(1) Complete the program and the test.
(2) Complete the course Evaluation form.
(3) Print Certificate/Statement of Credit.

II. Cost
The cost for the activity is 34.95 US dollars. There is no additional fee for CME/CE/CEH credits for this activity.

Disclosure Statement
The American Heart Association must ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its individually sponsored or jointly sponsored educational activities.

Accreditation / Disclosure Statements

Therefore, all faculty and authors participating in continuing education activities sponsored by the American Heart Association must disclose to the audience: (1) any significant financial relationships with the manufacturer(s) of products from the commercial supporter(s) and/or the manufacturer(s) of products or devices discussed in the activity, and (2) unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices discussed in the activity. The intent of this disclosure is not to prevent an author with a significant financial or other relationship from contributing but rather to provide participants with information with which they can make their own judgments. It remains for the participants to determine whether the author’s interests or relationships may influence the content.

I. The following authors have declared NO financial interest(s) and / or affiliations:

Name
Peter Panagos, MD
Mark Gorman, MD

II. The following faculty have declared NO financial interest(s) and or affiliations:

Name      
John Field, MD
Erik Soderberg, MS

Unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices is included in this activity
None

TARGET AUDIENCES:
Primary Audience:
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Residents
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants