Program Needs Assessment
Complaints of acute, episodic, musculoskeletal pain are the most common reasons for patients to seek treatment from their physician. While there are other numerous painful conditions that fit this category, back-related symptoms are among the most prevalent and, perhaps, the most costly. Back problems result in the inability to function at work and in normal activities of daily life; however, they have been associated with suboptimal and even inappropriate treatments, as well as significant misdiagnosis of potentially debilitating disease such as AS.

Conservative estimates reveal that more than 350,000 American adults suffer from AS; however, the medical community, including rheumatologists, does not follow a universal diagnostic and treatment protocol. AS often presents with concomitant diseases such as Crohn’s disease, uveitis and psoriatic arthritis, and may become severely debilitating. Nevertheless, many clinicians may not treat AS as a serious disorder.

Program Directors
Muhammad Asim Khan, MD, MACP, FRCP; Paul M. Peloso, MD, MSc

Program Faculty
Vance J. Bray, MD, Denver Arthritis Clinic, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Daniel O. Clegg, MD, Professor of Medicine, Chief, Division of Rheumatology, University of Utah School of Medicine; John J. Cush, MD, Chief, Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; John C. Davis, Jr., MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; Atul A. Deodhar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Rheumatology, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Salahuddin Kazi, MD*, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; Charles Pritchard, MD, FACR, Chief of Rheumatology, Holy Redeemer Hospital, Philadelphia; John D. Reveille, MD, Professor and Director, University of Texas Medical School at Houston ; Christopher T. Ritchlin, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Michael Weisman, MD, Director, Division of Rheumatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles

Faculty Disclosures
Muhammad Asim Khan, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Centocor, Inc; Paul Peloso, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, and Centocor, Inc.; Vance Bray, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Abbott Laboratories, Amgen and Centocor, Inc.; Jack Cush, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Amgen, Centocor, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Wyeth, Aventis, and Pharmacia.; John Davis, MD, indicates no commercial relationship with the commercial supporter or the manufacturer of any product discussed herein.; Atul Deodhar, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Amgen and Centocor, Inc.; Daniel Clegg, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Amgen, Centocor, Inc., and Wyeth.; Salahuddin Kazi, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Centocor, Inc.; Charlie Pritchard, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Centocor, Inc.; John Reveille, MD, indicates no commercial relationship with the commercial supporter or the manufacturer of any product discussed herein.; Christopher Ritchlin, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Amgen, Centocor, Wyeth and Zoma, and Michael Weisman, MD, has received grant/research support from and/or participated in speakers bureaus for Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, Centocor, Inc.

Principal Audience
This interactive teleconference is designed for rheumatologists and other clinicians who treat, or have an interest in, ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthropathies.

Educational Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify the prevalence of and burden of illness endured by patients with AS and related spondyloarthropathies.
• Recognize the importance of early and aggressive diagnosis and management of AS and guidelines for treatment options.
• Discuss the ramifications of missed or prolonged differential diagnosis.
• Identify a patients’ role in disease management.
• Acknowledge that newer therapies, such as anti-TNF-a, may expand physicians’ treatment options and thus improve disease management.

Method Of Participation
This activity should take approximately one hour to complete. Approximately 40 minutes of recorded material are encountered for the recorded presentation, while the remaining 20 minutes are used for completing a post-test, evaluation, and registration for CME credit. The participant should:

1. View the administration and CME information, then view and listen to the presentation.

2. Upon, completion of the presentation, take the test and complete the online registration and evaluation, which can be accessed by clicking on the link to the Dannemiller website.

3. The evaluation provides each participant with the opportunity to comment on the professional effectiveness, the perception of commercial bias, and his or her view on future educational needs. This credit will be valid through August 31, 2004. No credit will be given after that date.

Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation and Spondylitis Association of America. The Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation of Credit
The Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation designates this educational activity for a maximum of one category, one credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that participants actually spent in the activity.

Copyright Information
Copyright and permission statements have been received for those materials presented in the slides that were taken from other sources. ©2003 Spondylitis Association of America. All Rights Reserved.

Hardware & Software Requirements
In order to listen to the audio and view the program slides, participants need to be running Macromedia Shockwave Player. To download the Player, please click here.

Information
For questions regarding the content of this activity, contact the accredited provider for this CME activity: georgel@pain.com. For technical assistance contact the SAA via e-mail at info@spondylitis.org.

This educational activity has been made possible through an educational grant from Centocor, Inc.