UW Medicine 23rd Annual Clinical Cardiology Pearls for Primary Care 2024

Practical Cardiovascular Updates for Primary Care and Internal Medicine Clinicians

Overview

UW Medicine 23rd Annual Clinical Cardiology Pearls for Primary Care 2024 is a comprehensive cardiovascular education program developed by the University of Washington School of Medicine to provide primary care clinicians with practical, evidence-based updates on common cardiovascular conditions encountered in everyday practice.

This case-based course focuses on modern approaches to hypertension, cholesterol management, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular prevention, and cardiac testing. Faculty members use real-world clinical scenarios and interactive discussions to help participants translate current guidelines into effective patient care.

The program emphasizes practical decision-making for frontline clinicians, including when to order advanced cardiac testing, when to refer patients to cardiology specialists, and how to implement the latest evidence-based therapies.

Course Specifications

Format

• 7 Video Lectures
• 11 PDF Presentations

Course Date

April 26, 2024

Location

Online Webinar – Seattle, Washington

File Size

3.36 GB

Educational Level

Intermediate

Specialty

Clinical Cardiology for Primary Care

Provider

University of Washington School of Medicine

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Apply current hypertension guidelines to clinical practice.
• Implement modern cholesterol management strategies.
• Utilize guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure.
• Evaluate and manage patients presenting with chest pain.
• Select appropriate cardiac imaging and stress testing modalities.
• Recognize and manage valvular heart disease.
• Diagnose and treat atrial fibrillation and other common arrhythmias.
• Incorporate cardiovascular benefits of newer diabetes therapies into patient care.

Core Topics Covered

Hypertension Management

Topics Include

• ACC/AHA Hypertension Guidelines
• International Society of Hypertension Recommendations
• Blood Pressure Targets
• Risk-Based Treatment Strategies
• Resistant Hypertension

Participants review practical approaches to blood pressure control in primary care settings.

Cholesterol Management and ASCVD Prevention

Topics Include

• ASCVD Risk Assessment
• Statin Therapy
• Non-Statin Lipid-Lowering Agents
• PCSK9 Inhibitors
• Primary Prevention
• Secondary Prevention

Emphasis is placed on applying contemporary lipid guidelines and recent clinical trial data.

Heart Failure Management

Topics Include

• Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF)
• Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)
• Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT)
• ARNI Therapy
• SGLT2 Inhibitors
• Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists

Special focus is given to the modern “four pillars” of heart failure therapy.

Coronary Artery Disease

Topics Include

• Stable Coronary Artery Disease
• Chronic Coronary Syndromes
• Risk Assessment
• Medical Therapy
• Prevention Strategies

Participants learn evidence-based management of patients with ischemic heart disease.

Chest Pain Evaluation

Topics Include

• Acute vs Chronic Chest Pain
• Risk Stratification
• Stress Testing
• Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)
• Appropriate Use Criteria

Clinicians learn how to select the most appropriate diagnostic test based on patient presentation.

Valvular Heart Disease

Topics Include

• Heart Murmurs
• Aortic Stenosis
• Mitral Regurgitation
• Echocardiography Referral Criteria
• Timing of Valve Intervention

Practical guidance is provided on recognizing when specialist evaluation is needed.

Cardiac Arrhythmias

Topics Include

• Palpitations
• Ambulatory Rhythm Monitoring
• Supraventricular Tachycardias
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Referral for Electrophysiology Evaluation

Atrial Fibrillation

Topics Include

• Stroke Prevention
• CHA₂DS₂-VASc Risk Assessment
• Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)
• Rate Control
• Rhythm Control
• Catheter Ablation

Participants learn when referral for advanced rhythm management may be appropriate.

Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Topics Include

• Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
• SGLT2 Inhibitors
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
• Cardiorenal Protection
• Integrated Risk Management

The course highlights the expanding role of diabetes therapies in cardiovascular prevention.

Educational Features

Case-Based Learning

Real-world clinical scenarios enhance practical decision-making skills.

Guideline-Focused Education

Reviews current ACC/AHA and international cardiovascular guidelines.

Primary Care Perspective

Specifically designed for clinicians managing cardiovascular disease outside specialty cardiology practices.

Interactive Teaching Format

Encourages active participation and application of evidence-based strategies.

Target Audience

Physicians

• Internists
• Primary Care Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Cardiologists
• Hospitalists

Advanced Practice Providers

• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants

Nurses

• Primary Care Nurses
• Cardiology Nurses

Trainees

• Internal Medicine Residents
• Family Medicine Residents
• Cardiology Fellows

Why This Course Stands Out

• Tailored specifically to primary care cardiovascular management.
• Covers the most common cardiovascular conditions encountered in practice.
• Emphasizes practical implementation of current guidelines.
• Strong focus on heart failure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and prevention.
• Uses case-based teaching to improve clinical application.

 Topics:

• ADJOURN.pdf
• Atrial Fibrillation.mp4
• Atrial Fibrillation.pdf
• Evaluating Chest Pain.mp4
• Evaluating Chest Pain.pdf
• Evaluation of Palpitations.mp4
• Evaluation of Palpitations.pdf
• Hypertension Highlights and Difficult Cases.mp4
• Hypertension Highlights and Difficult Cases.pdf
• MJ2413 Brochure v4.pdf
• MJ2413 Cardio Syllabus__Disclosures.pdf
• Modern Heart Failure Management.mp4
• Modern Heart Failure Management.pdf
• Murmurs and Valve Disease.mp4
• Murmurs and Valve Disease.pdf
• Prevention Pearls.mp4
• Prevention Pearls.pdf
• Q&A.pdf