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 Nutrition (ASN) 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 ASN is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The ASN 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 August 31, 2007. Please fax the pages to the ASN at 301-634-7351 or mail them to the following address: American Society for 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 ASN.

Article: Visser M, Deeg DJH, Puts MTE, Seidell JC, Lips P. Low serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in older persons and the risk of nursing home admission. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:616–22.

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

CME exam

1. Which of the following blood concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D are indicative of vitamin D deficiency according to the study of the relation of low vitamin D status to the risk of nursing home admission in elderly subjects?

1. Less than 50 nmol/L
   
2. Less than 25 nmol/L
   
3. Less than 15 nmol/L
   
4. Less than 10 nmol/L
   

2. Which of the following is a likely predictor of vitamin D deficiency in people aged > 65 y?

1. Increasing tendency to stay indoors and avoid sunlight.
   
2. Decreased skin synthesis of vitamin D with increasing age.
   
3. Worsening dietary habits.
   
4. All of the above.
   
5. None of the above.
   

3. Which of the following is a likely reason for the association of increasing likelihood of nursing home admission with relatively low vitamin D status?

1. Decreased muscle strength with increased risk of falling.
   
2. Accelerated bone loss with increased risk of fracture.
   
3. Both of the above.
   
4. None of the above.
   

4. What practical information can be concluded from this study?

1. Vitamin D supplementation should be encouraged to increase longevity in all people aged > 65 y.
   
2. Greater exposure to sunlight will increase longevity in people aged > 65 y.
   
3. Vitamin D deficiency increases risk of nursing home placement in those aged > 65 y, regardless of other health factors.
   
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
   

Comments

Related articles in AJCN:

Low serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in older persons and the risk of nursing home admission

Marjolein Visser, Dorly JH Deeg, Martine TE Puts, Jaap C Seidell, and Paul Lips
AJCN 2006 84: 616-622. [Full Text]