Learn With Me: Blood Disorders

Course Description:

This activity will address the clinical considerations of blood health.   Education will focus on best practices related to blood health including screening, communication with patients and recognition of blood disorders.  Better understanding of blood as an organ and insufficiencies/failures/disorders must be diagnosed appropriately and then treated accordingly.

Statement of Need:

Commonly Overlooked Conditions

Several blood-related issues are frequently under investigated or missed in standard clinical settings:

• Iron Deficiency in Specific Groups: Research indicates that iron deficiency in menstruating women on anticoagulation therapy is vastly underreported and under investigated.
• Subclinical Imbalances: Standard panels are designed to flag clear-cut illness, often missing subtle nutrient imbalances (like vitamin D, ferritin, or B12) that can significantly impact mood and energy.
• Rare Genetic and Bone Marrow Disorders: Conditions such as Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), Histiocytosis, and Gaucher disease are often difficult for general providers to recognize due to their heterogeneous presentation.
• Silent Infections: Chronic conditions like Hepatitis C can remain asymptomatic for decades, yet doctors may miss them if they do not specifically screen at-risk populations, such as baby boomers. 

The Forbury Clinic

Education and Training Gaps

Medical training may not sufficiently prepare future physicians for these complexities. A study of medical students found that 95.4% perceived their knowledge of rare diseases as insufficient, and 92.2% did not feel prepared to care for patients with these conditions. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)

Objectives:

• Improve Clinical Recognition & Early Diagnosis  
• Promote Healthcare Provider Engagement to allow for better communication with patients
• Enhance Access to Screening

  
  Disclosure: 

The following planners disclose that they have no relevant relationships with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients:

Miranda Mosley, Monalisa Tailor, M.D.