This educational activity consists of recorded presentations from Innovations in Solid Organ and Blood/Marrow Transplantation held in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 7-9, 2011.
Therapy for advanced heart failure patients continues to evolve. Ventricular assist devices (VAD) have become common and appropriate interventions for selected patients whose symptoms continue to progress while on optimal medical management. Mechanical cardiac assist has been successfully employed in acute and chronic heart failure conditions that do not show recovery and require transplantation. The most recent application of artificial heart technologies is in the area of permanent use—known as destination therapy—for those patients who do not qualify for a new organ. This presentation will review the various types of VADs, when they are used, their associated costs and clinical management for patients on destination therapy.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to

1. List the various types of ventricular assist devices (VADs).
2. Describe when VADs are used as a bridge to transplant, bridge to recovery and destination therapy.
3. Review clinical management for patients on destination therapy.
4. Discuss the economic barriers with the use of VADs.

Faculty
John B. O’Connell, MD
Executive Director
Heart Failure Program
Heart and Vascular Institute;
St. Joseph's Hospital
Atlanta, Georgia

Disclosures
Please click here to view disclosures and activity planning information.

Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this activity.
For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.
Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion of the activity, which includes the following:

• Completing the entire activity
• Completing the Pre- and Post-Activity Assessments, Activity Evaluation, and Application for Certificate of Credit forms

You must be logged into your account to participate in this activity. Begin by clicking Take Course and viewing the CE Info; then follow the prompts at the bottom of the screen. At the end of the activity you will be able to view, save, or print your certificate of participation. The Area of Practice you indicated in your profile corresponds with your certificate type. A complete listing of all of your activities can be found in your profile.

Sponsored By
This activity is sponsored by OptumHealth Education.

Commercial Support
This activity is supported by Allos Therapeutics, Amgen, Novartis Oncology, Shire, Cephalon Oncology, genzyme, Millennium, Novartis, sanofi aventis, National Marrow Donor Program, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Hardware/Software Requirements
To view this activity you will need Internet Explorer 7.0+ or Firefox 3.0+ with Windows Media Player 9+, RealPlayer 12+, or Adobe Flash Player 9+. Be sure to disable your pop-up blocking software.

Accreditation and Credit Designation Statements
Physicians
OptumHealth Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physicians Assistants
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts Category 1.0 credit from AMA PRA Category 1 CME organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Nurses
OptumHealth Education is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

The participant will be awarded up to 1.0 contact hours of credit for attendance and completion of supplemental materials.

Case Managers
The Commission for Case Manager Certification has approved this program for a maximum of 1.0 clock hours for Certified Case Managers (CCM).

For any type of credit not listed above, a Certificate of Attendance will be provided upon completion of activity requirements, enabling participants to register with the appropriate licensing boards or associations. To apply for credit types not listed above, participants should use the procedure established by the specific organization in question.