Type 2 Diabetes: Treatment Strategies for Optimal Care

Course Overview
Type 2 diabetes represents a growing healthcare crisis on a national and worldwide scale. As the population increases, including growing subpopulations of obese and elderly individuals, type 2 diabetes is anticipated to endure as one of the top causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Fortunately, novel agents, formulations, and devices have been developed that can help patients reach A1c goals with less negative impact on quality of life, although balancing patient needs, glycemic targets, and unwanted side effects is still considered to be difficult by many healthcare professionals. Significant barriers in type 2 diabetes remain. Research has yet to determine the optimal A1c target that should be assigned to most diabetes patients, and low levels of therapeutic adherence continue to counteract treatment efficacy. Still, as knowledge and technology advances, there is the potential these obstacles will be overcome and outcomes in type 2 diabetes will be vastly improved.

Learning Outcomes 
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:

• Apply epidemiologic trends in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to current practice so at-risk patient populations can be more easily identified, assessed, and treated for T2DM.
• Utilize knowledge of the pathophysiology and diagnosis of T2DM to create comprehensive treatment strategies that target critical pathways in T2DM development and progression.
• Identify the therapies for T2DM that are supported by contemporary evidence and are in adherence with current guideline recommendations.
• Discuss the risks and benefits of tight glycemic control when setting and achieving A1c targets in patients with T2DM.
• Describe strategies to improve patient adherence to T2DM medication by developing treatment regimens associated with optimal adherence and providing adequate patient education, counseling, and support.

About the Author/Presenter 
John J. Whyte, MD, MPH, is currently the Chief Medical Officer at WebMD. In this role, he leads efforts to develop and expand strategic partnerships that create meaningful change around important and timely public health issues. Previously, Dr. Whyte was the Direc¬tor of Professional Affairs and Stakeholder Engage¬ment at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and the Chief Medical Expert and Vice President, Health and Medical Education at Discovery Channel, part of the media conglomerate Discovery Communications. 

Prior to this, Dr. Whyte was in the Immediate Office of the Director at the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality. He served as Medical Advisor/Director of the Council on Private Sector Initiatives to Improve the Safety, Security, and Quality of Healthcare. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Whyte was the Acting Director, Division of Medical Items and Devices in the Coverage and Analysis Group in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS is the federal agency responsible for administering the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In his role at CMS, Dr.Whyte made recommendations as to whether or not the Medicare program should pay for certain procedures, equipment, or services. His division was responsible for durable medical equipment, orthotics/prosthetics, drugs/biologics/therapeutics, medical items, laboratory tests, and non-implantable devices. As Division Director as well as Medical Officer/Senior Advisor, Dr. Whyte was responsible for more national coverage decisions than any other CMS staff.

Dr. Whyte is a board-certified internist. He completed an internal medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center as well as earned a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy and Management at Harvard University School of Public Health. Prior to arriving in Washington, Dr. Whyte was a health services research fellow at Stanford and attending physician in the Department of Medicine. He has written extensively in the medical and lay press on health policy issues.

Audience/Accreditations and Approvals 
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE 
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly 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. 
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details): 
Pharmacy, Physician

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