APPNA Academy

Course Description: The purpose of this online course is to enhance the knowledge and expertise of clinicians and related professionals working with elderly patients. The course will provide an overview of aging, the basics in geriatric care and common late-life mental health conditions including dementia and polypharmacy seen in the primary care office and their management based on current best practice guidelines. We will use an active learning approach through live interactive sessions and discussions. This program will complement basic training and short courses offered in Pakistan for general practitioners to bridge the gap of specialty care, especially in underserved areas of Pakistan. 

Objectives:

At the end of the course, the participants would be able to:

1. Explain a basic approach to geriatric care with history taking and screening of dementia, agitation, elder abuse & neglect, and late-life mood & psychotic disorders in a Primary Care setting. 
2. Provide a review of approaches towards diagnosing the different mental health conditions in late- life along with comorbid medical conditions. 
3. Provide basic awareness and management of unique challenges in elderly including concept of palliative psychiatry/psycho-oncology, elder abuse and neglect, and interventional electroconvulsive therapy.
4. Review approaches to evaluate and manage these late-life conditions in primary care settings.

Mode of Delivery: Three hours of contact sessions through Zoom once a month with the ability to view the content later online for self-paced learning. 

Course Director: 

Asif Khan, M.D., FAPA, 
Director Psychiatry Residency Training & Inpatient Adult & Geriatric Services, 
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Central Michigan University College of Medicine

Course Faculty:

Ahmad Rehan Khan, M.D., 
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; 
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine            

Farha Abbasi, M.D., 
Assistant Professor & Core Faculty in Psychiatry & Co-Founder Annual Muslim Mental Health Conference, Michigan State University

Muhammad Aslam, M.D., 
Professor of Psychiatry University of Cincinnati & Chief of Psychiatry VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH  

Mark Nathanson, M.D., 
Assistant Professor & Director Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program, Columbia University Medical Center

Namirah Jamshed, M.D., 
Associate Professor & Director Geriatric Fellowship Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Zheala Qayyum, M.D., MMSc 
Medical Director Psychiatric Emergency Services & Training Director Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, Boston Children’s Hospital-Harvard Medical School   

Mansoor Shawl, MBBS, MRCPsych: 
Consultant Psychiatrist at NHS England

Saif-ur-Rahman Paracha, M.D., 
Geriatric Psychiatrist Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Course Duration: Three months

Time: 9: 00 AM EST – 12: PM EST

Target Audience: 

Primary: Primary care and specialty physicians – General Practitioners, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and related mental health practitioners currently working with patients suffering mental health disorders particularly in the elderly.

Secondary: Residents, Fellows and Medical Students

Assessment Method:

Each participant registered in the certificate program will be asked to submit a one-page summary of each of the three modules to get credit for the module. 

Course Outline

The course will be delivered on Sunday of each month for three hours. Three lectures of 40 minutes each and then a QA session for 20 min after each session. The duration of the course will be three months. 

Month 1 – Sunday October 22, 2023

10 min      Course Introduction, Pre-Course Survey: 
Lecture 1:   The 5 Ms in Geriatrics: The Basic Framework in Geriatric Care, Namirah Jamshed, M.D.               

Lecture 2:Delirium in the context of Dementia, Medical Complexities and Polypharmacy, Mansoor Shawl, MBBS, MRCPsych     

Lecture 3:        Late-Life Depressive Disorders, Muhammad Aslam, M.D.

Month 2 – Sunday November 19^th, 2023 

Lecture 1: Major Neurocognitive Impairments & Dementia Syndromes, Farha Abbasi, M.D.

Lecture 2: Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Dementia & Management of Agitation, Asif Khan, M.D.,FAPA

Lecture 3: Psychiatric Oncology and Palliative Care in Late-life,Zheala Qayyum, M.D., MMSc                         

Month 3 – Sunday Dec 17^th, 2023

Lecture 1: Late-life Bipolar & Psychotic Disorders, Saif-ur Rahman Paracha, M.D.

Lecture 2: Electro-convulsive Therapy: Basics & Implication in Late-life, Ahmad Rehan Khan, M.D.

Lecture 3: Elder Abuse & Neglect, Mark Nathanson, M.D.

Wrap-up session, post-survey & QA Session