Medical breakthroughs and ground-breaking discoveries happen regularly in healthcare – and while this is paramount to enhancing our understanding of diseases, improving standards of care, and, ultimately, patient outcomes, it poses one problem: it’s becoming virtually impossible for healthcare professionals to keep up.
It’s estimated that medical knowledge now doubles every 73 days. Compare that to 2010, when knowledge doubled every 3.5 years, it’s becoming harder and harder for clinicians to remain current on the latest treatment best practices.
But in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, staying up-to-date with the latest standards of care is paramount, especially when treating lifestyle diseases. In Saudi Arabia and many GCC states, the prevalence of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases is rapidly increasing, and it’s having a staggering impact on both quality of life and cost of healthcare delivery.
Healthcare professionals, including physicians and pharmacists, must stay informed on treatment advances and prevention strategies to help improve patient outcomes and reduce the economic burden.
In this article, we’ll explore the incidence and impact of lifestyle diseases and strategies healthcare professionals can leverage to stay current on treatment recommendations to enhance patient outcomes.
The Impact of Lifestyle Diseases
In recent years, preventable lifestyle diseases in GCC states have sharply increased, fueled in part by unhealthy behaviours, including smoking, lack of exercise, and poor diet. These lifestyle diseases claim thousands of lives each year. 2016 stats from the World Health Organization found that 37 percent of deaths in Saudi Arabia were caused by cardiovascular diseases, while diabetes contributed to 3 percent of deaths.
With obesity rates steadily increasing — almost 60 percent of Saudi Arabia’s adult population is obese — the incidence of related chronic diseases will also exacerbate, further diminishing quality of life.
The rise in lifestyle diseases is also creating an economic burden – because they require a wide range of therapies to treat and manage, lifestyle diseases cost the healthcare system an estimated USD 18.6 billion annually, with an additional USD 13.1 billion lost due to absenteeism and diminished productivity.
To lessen the impact, clinicians must stay current on preventative measures and treatment best practices to support positive patient outcomes. Continuing medical education (CME) is an ideal way for physicians and pharmacists to keep their skills sharp.
Staying Current: The Role of Continuing Medical Education
New treatments, drugs, and procedures offer the potential for improved patient outcomes – healthcare practitioners can stay current on evidence-based advances through continuing medical education (CME) courses. Available through MDBriefCase, CME brings the latest discoveries and treatment guidelines to clinicians’ fingertips, resulting in more effective management of lifestyle diseases.
CME is available in various formats, including online modules, self-directed learning, webinars, and in-person conferences and workshops, and provide many compelling benefits:
1. Increased Knowledge and Expertise: CME programs integrate the latest research and advancements in disease management, medication, and treatment, keeping clinicians up-to-date with recommended treatment options for their patients.
2. Improved Decision-Making: CME can help clinicians improve their decision-making skills through case-based discussions and interactive sessions and scenarios. This results in better treatment outcomes and improved patient satisfaction.
3. Enhanced Patient Outcomes: As clinicians become more knowledgeable and confident in their abilities, they become more capable of diagnosing, educating, and treating patients with lifestyle diseases, resulting in improved patient outcomes.
4. Professional Development Requirements: CME programs provide a convenient and effective way to earn these credits and comply with their professional development requirements while improving their knowledge and skills.
As the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases continues to rise in the GCC, clinicians must stay informed on recommended treatment protocols. Join MDBriefCase today for free to access a vast range of courses on a range of lifestyle diseases and other common conditions and ensure you’re providing patients with the latest standards of care.
About MDBriefCase
MDBriefCase Group Inc. provides accredited, online continuing professional development (CPD) to help healthcare practitioners enhance their professional practice and stay at the forefront of the latest evidence and protocols.
