Stanford University 3rd Annual Spinal Muscular Atrophy Continuing Medical Education Conference on Clinical Decision-Making in the Midst of an Unfoldin

Continuing medical education and training is building momentum among the healthcare community treating and managing individuals with SMA.  In this era of disease-modifying treatments, evolving SMA phenotypes are unfolding and clinical decision-making is requiring greater attention for the most optimal outcomes.  Multidisciplinary medical and rehabilitative management recommendations are sought after while weighing the treatment options, long term outcomes, and ethical considerations to effectively treat and manage patients with SMA.  We intend to continue to enhance the knowledge and understanding of healthcare providers including physicians, specialists, physical, occupational, and speech language pathologist and nurses, outside specialized centers, in the clinical decision-making and medical and rehabilitative management of individuals with SMA. 

This virtual 3-day brunch seminar series is provided to (1) integrate new 2021 treatment advances into clinical decision-making; and (2) use new SMA standards as a model for public health, primary and multi-disciplinary care of all children and adults with neuromuscular disease. 

For each day, the 3-hour seminar will involve an educational lecture series providing an overview of SMA therapeutic treatment updates and clinical decision-making for optimal outcomes, the impact of newborn screening, as well as primary and multi-disciplinary care for children and adults living with SMA.  Didactics will be followed by an in depth review of rehabilitation evidence, with a specific focus on multidisciplinary clinical case discussions.  The sessions will include opportunities for clinical decision-making for the evolving phenotypes as well as a shared session to support multi-disciplinary providers to medically manage and develop rehabilitation programs and episodes of care including evaluations, goals, interventions and strategies to exercise.

At the end of this conference, participants will have an understanding of the current advances in therapeutic treatments, clinical, and rehabilitative management in SMA. Attendees will understand opportunities available to enhance clinical care, determine the most appropriate treatment, medical and rehabilitative interventions, and contemplate the ethical debates to treatment and management.