The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease (AD) and that the prevalence is rising. The annual direct health care costs for AD are estimated to be in the range of $100 billion. Autoimmune disease is a pathologic condition caused by an autoimmune response — an adaptive immune response directed against an antigen within the body of the host (termed a self-antigen). The exact etiology of autoimmune disorders is unknown. Researchers have identified 80–100 different ADs that are chronic and can be life threatening.

With a focus on RA, this presentation will review evidence-based treatment guidelines, examine scientific and clinical advances, and identify factors that may improve clinical outcomes and decrease costs in the management of RA.

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

1. Summarize up-to-date, evidence-based treatment guidelines in the management of patients with RA
2. Describe recent scientific and clinical advances regarding the pathogenesis and treatment of RA
3. Recognize opportunities to improve gaps in care and decrease costs in the management of RA

Faculty Listing
Michael H. Weisman, MD
Distinguished Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA;
Chair and Director, Division of Rheumatology
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California

Disclosures of Relevant Financial Relationships
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support^SM, OptumHealth Education requires all those involved in the development of activity content to disclose their relevant financial relationships. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if such person (or their spouse/partner) has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the activity content over which the individual has control.
OptumHealth Education ensures that the content is independent of commercial bias.

Faculty Disclosure
The faculty reported the following:
Michael H. Weisman, MD has indicated that he has no relevant financial relationships.

Activity Planners
Sarah Chart-Hart, RN
Senior Director
OptumHealth Education

Rebecca Gleason, RN, CCM
Activity Manager
OptumHealth Education

Anne M. Sendaydiego, PharmD
AMS Consulting, LLC
Louisville, Kentucky

V. Silverstein, MD
Eagle Creek Medical Communications
Durham, North Carolina

Activity Planner Disclosures
Ms Chart and Ms Gleason have indicated that they are employees of and own stock in UnitedHealth Group.
Drs Sendaydiego and Silverstein have indicated that they have no relevant financial relationships.

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. Get started by clicking “Begin” 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 under “My Account”, “My Activities.”

Accreditation Statement
OptumHealth Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation Statements
Physicians
OptumHealth Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistants
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Nurses
The participant will be awarded up to 1.00 contact hour(s) of credit for attendance and completion of supplemental materials.

Nurse Practitioners
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.

Pharmacists
This activity is approved for 1.00 contact hour(s) ([0.1] CEU) in states that recognize ACPE.

Attending the full program will earn 1.00 contact hour(s). Unique Activity Number(s): 0860-0000-15-046-H01-P

Attendance
A certificate of attendance will be provided to learners upon completion of activity requirements, enabling participants to register with licensing boards or associations that have not been pre-approved for credits. To apply for credit types not listed above, participants should use the procedure established by the specific organization to which you wish you apply credit.

Method for Calculating CE Credit
CE credit was calculated by the complexity of content.

Provided By
This activity is provided by OptumHealth Education.

Commercial Support
There was no commercial support received for this activity.

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 prior to the beginning of this activity.