Continuing Medical Education

After evaluating an article designated for Continuing Medical Education (CME) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), participants in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition (ASCN) CME program should be able to show that their knowledge of clinical nutrition has increased. Participants should also be able to evaluate whether the clinical information provided in the CME-designated article is relevant to the provision of patient care.

Accreditation and credits

The ASCN is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The ASCN designates each CME program for 1 hour of category 1 credit toward the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he or she actually spent on the education program.

Instructions

Each issue of the AJCN will usually include at least 2 articles designated for CME credit. After reading the CME-designated article, select the best answer to each exam question listed below and complete the evaluation. To receive CME credit, you should return the exam and evaluation pages along with the CME Participant Response Form by September 30, 2006. Please fax the pages to the ASCN at 301-634-7350 or mail them to the following address: American Society for Clinical Nutrition, CME Program, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814. Note that all responses must be prepaid. Answers to the questions will be mailed to all participants, and certificates of credit will be sent to participants who successfully complete each exam. Please be sure to make a photocopy of the exam for your records before submitting it to the ASCN.

Article: Kagansky N, Berner Y, Koren-Morag N, Perelman L, Knobler H, Levy S. Poor nutritional habits are predictors of poor outcome in very old hospitalized patients. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82:784–91.

One hour of category 1 credit will be issued for successful completion of this entire exam.

CME exam

1. Which of the following statements most accurately describes malnutrition in elderly subjects?

1. Malnutrition is rare in the elderly and when present can usually be ascribed to concurrent cancer.
   
2. The likelihood of malnutrition is much greater in hospitalized than in community-dwelling elderly persons.
   
3. The presence of malnutrition in elderly subjects has little effect on mortality risk.
   
4. Poverty is the major cause of malnutrition in elderly subjects.
   

2. Which of the following is the most significant cause of malnutrition in the elderly?

1. Cancer
   
2. Increased resting energy expenditure
   
3. Inadequate food intake
   
4. None of the above
   

CME exam evaluation

1. Were the CME program objectives successfully met?

1. Yes
   
2. No
   
3. Partially (please explain)
   

2. Did you find this article and its CME questions relevant to your practice?

1. Yes
   
2. No
   
3. Partially (please explain)
   

3. Will completion of this CME exam affect the way that you treat your patients?

1. Yes (please explain)
   
2. No
   

4. Was the information presented in this article objective, balanced, and free of commercial bias?

1. Yes
   
2. No
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