Early diagnosis and treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) are key to reducing patients’ risk, yet there is low awareness of current guidelines and treatment options among healthcare practitioners. To address these challenges, the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, Mended Hearts, Mended Little Hearts, the National Lipid Association, and PlatformQ Health came together to produce a 60-minute CME activity designed to:
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of HoFH
- Apply current guidelines to managing the condition
- Explore the role of conventional and investigational agents in treatment
Led by faculty from Brigham & Women’s Hospital and CGH Medical Center, the program also featured a patient sharing her story about diagnosis at a young age, the genetic testing she received, her family history with HoFH, and her treatment journey. The program was offered live and remained available on demand afterwards.
To measure the outcomes, questions were asked before, immediately post and two months after the activity. The program outcomes were presented at the 2022 American Heart Association Scientific Symposium.
Click here to download the full poster.
Social media engagement included 43,137 impressions and 18,817 views. 1,923 learners, including cardiologists, PCPs, lipidologists, and endocrinologists, participated in the program. The average time in session was more than 36 minutes, with learners sharing 247 polling responses. 89% of learners reported that the activity had a positive impact on patient experiences or outcomes, while 100% of learners reported that the activity had a positive impact on their clinical practice.
The CME with patient voice successfully highlighted patients’ expectations of care as well as emerging changes in the HoFH landscape. Additional education will be beneficial as new best practices and agents become available for treating this condition.