What You’ll Learn

After completing this course, learners will have the tools to accurately identify and treat depression in patients living with a serious illness.

Learning outcomes for this course include:

  1. Discuss the prevalence of depression among seriously ill patients and the role of the IDT.
  2. Describe the use of validated tool to screen for depression.
  3. Discuss four categories of medications used to treat depression.
  4. Discuss the evidence-base for complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of depression.
  5. Drug costs when making prescribing decisions for patients.

What You’ll Earn

Only CAPC members who are logged in can earn the following free Continuing Education Credits:

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • Case Management: 1.25 CE
  • Nursing: 1.00 CNE, 0.50 Pharmacotherapy
  • Social Work: 1.00 CE (NYSED)
  • Social Work: 1.00 CE (NASW)

To take this course, log in. Or, check here to see if your organization is a member.

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1

Take the course

2

Take the post-test

3

Complete evaluation

4

Download your certificate

Tools & Resources

PHQ-9: Validated Screening Tool for Depression

Used to screen, diagnose and measure the severity of depression.

Symptom Management Glossary

Key terms related to symptom management. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2023.

Course References: Depression in Patients with Serious Illness

Course citations. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2023.

Fast Fact #7: Depression in Advanced Cancer

Screening and and assessment of depression in patients with advanced cancer.

Fast Fact #146: Screening for Depression in Palliative Care

Screening tools for depression and recommendations for their use.

Dignity Therapy Toolkit

Practical tools to support health professionals in addressing the emotional needs of patients and caregivers. Published by Dignity in Care, 2016.

DSM-V: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition

Taxonomic and diagnostic tool for mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Physicians

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the providership of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) effective 2/15/2024.

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CME Released: 2/15/2024; Valid for credit through 2/15/2026.

Estimated Time of Completion for CME: 60 minutes

ABIM MOC Recognition Statement

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn 1.0 MOC credits in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC credits equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for this activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Physician Assistants

The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designates this enduring material with 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ as specified, which can be applied to the continuing education of Physician Assistants. Physician Assistants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses (Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Licensed Nurses)

This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by Connecticut Nurses’ Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

CNE Released: 3/11/2021; Valid Credit through 3/11/2025.

Estimated Time of Completion for CNE: 60 minutes

This course offers 0.50 Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses as required for maintenance of national certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) for nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists.

Social Workers

This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval #86437049-4972) for 1.0 continuing education contact hours effective 2/20/2024-2/28/2025.

Center to Advance Palliative Care SW CPE #0257 is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers effective 3/10/2021-7/31/2027. This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing education contact hours.

Certified Case Managers

This program is approved by The Commission for Case Manager Certification (Approval # 240000551) to provide 1.25 continuing education credits to CCM® board certified case managers.

Released: 3/13/2024; Valid for credit through 3/13/2025.

Verification of Attendance (VOA)

All users that are not eligible for continuing education will receive a Verification of Attendance certificate upon completion of the course.

Course Media Instructions

Software Requirements: CAPC’s online curriculum, tools and technical assistance are designed to be fully compatible through multiple platforms: computer, smartphone (iOS or Android) or tablet running the following web browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

Content: Each course is comprised of interactive learning components (articles, tools, or supporting materials), video and audio. The learner will be expected to complete various interactive processes such as matching, simulated clinical decision-making, fill in the blanks, and highlighting content.

To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online, receive a minimum score of 80% on the post-test, and complete the course evaluation. A printable certificate of completion or a continuing award document specific to the discipline will be awarded.

Target Audience: Each program is developed for chaplains/spiritual counselors, nurses, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, case managers, palliative care program leaders, and healthcare leaders (hospital, health system and community care).

Activity Description/Statement of Needs: CAPC’s online curriculum provides training in two critical areas. Technical assistance courses are designed to help palliative care program leaders address key challenges such as implementing palliative care in community health care settings. Clinical coursework provides fundamental training in pain and symptom management, communication, and other key skills needed to work with patients with serious illness.

Disclaimers: The opinions expressed in the courses are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the sponsor, the educational partner, or the supporter. Please review complete prescribing information of specific drugs or combination of drugs, including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.

Activities do not contain information on commercial products/devices that are unlabeled for use or investigational uses of products not yet approved.

Faculty Disclosures and Financial Relationships: It is the policy of CAPC to ensure objectivity, balance, independence, transparency, and scientific rigor in all CE, CNE and CME educational activities per the highest standards of ANCC and ACGME guidelines. For all courses, Faculty/Presenters/Authors/Content Reviewers/Planning Committee Members complete forms to disclose their relevant financial relationships. Any relevant financial relationships have been mitigated. No relevant financial relationships were identified for any individuals with the ability to control content of the activity.

Copyright Information: All rights reserved by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). No materials may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.

Privacy Information: To read CAPC’s privacy policy, click here.

Sean M. Marks, MD. Associate Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin.

Brittany Chambers, MPH, MCHES. Associate Director of Education, Center to Advance Palliative Care.

Brynne Hunter, MSIT. Education Technology Project Manager, Center to Advance Palliative Care.

Drew Rosielle, MD, FAAHPM. Palliative Care, Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota Medical School.

Lolita Melhado, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC. Family Nurse Practitioner/Palliative Care, Gulf Coast Medical Center - Lee Memorial Health System.

Philip Higgins, PhD, LICSW. President, Lighthouse Counseling of Salem, Inc.

Karl Bezak, MD. Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, University of Pittsburgh (UPMC).*

Nora Brennan, RN. Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania Hospital System.

Dara Duncan, RN. Hospice and Palliative Care Registered Nurse, Wiener Family Palliative Care Unit
Mount Sinai Hospital.

Gabrielle Langmann, MD. Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Master’s of Science in Medical Education Candidate, University of Pittsburgh.*

Ayla Pelleg, MD. Assistant Professor, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

*indicates ABIM Peer Reviewer

Contact information: For answers to frequently asked questions about CAPC courses, read the Online Course FAQ. For technical questions about course activity, email [email protected]. For questions about continuing education credits, contact 201-957-0077.

Provided by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Anxiety in Patients with Serious Illness

Take this online course to learn evidence-based strategies to identify and treat anxiety in patients with a serious illness.

Constipation in Patients with Serious Illness

Constipation occurs in at least 70% of patients living with a serious illness and often goes unrecognized. Take this online course to learn critical skills to identify and manage the impact of constipation.

Dyspnea in Patients with Serious Illness

Take this online course to learn how to manage dyspnea, including the physical causes of shortness of breath and the emotional impact on the patient.

View all courses in the unit

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