Winter 2020 2021 LipidSpin Articles | National Lipid Association Online

JOSEPH J. SASEEN, PHARMD, CLS, FNLA	From the NLA President: How the NLA Adapted to the Challenges of 2020 My fellow members of the National Lipid Association, I am very happy to bring you yet another Northeast and Southeast Chapter-hosted edition of LipidSpin. When the editorial calendar was revamped last year, we fully intended this edition to roll off the presses in time to make the rounds at the Fall Clinical Lipid Update in Washington, D.C. But as John Lennon once famously sang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Many NLA meetings have undergone virtual... more
KAREN ASPRY, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, FNLA	From the NELA President: Leveraging Telehealth to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in the Era of COVID-19 “Necessity is the mother of invention.” – Plato Welcome to this issue of LipidSpin. It was a pleasure to collaborate with SELA President Dr. Dave Dixon, who did a lot of the heavy lifting during the planning phase. I would also like to thank those who volunteered their time to write on the important topic of telehealth for cardiovascular disease management and prevention in these critical times. A LipidSpin dedicated to telehealth was timely when we... more
DAVE L. DIXON, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, AACC, FNLA	From the SELA President: Navigating the Perfectly Imperfect World of Telehealth All issues of LipidSpin are special, but this one is particularly so since it was co-developed by the Southeast and Northeast Chapters of the National Lipid Association. It was a real pleasure working with Dr. Karen Aspry, Northeast Chapter President, on this important and timely issue. Although telehealth has been around for decades, it was thrust upon everyone when the pandemic began last spring, as it became our primary means of providing care to our patients, while also... more
DANIEL E. SOFFER MD, FACP, FNLA	Editor's Corner: Changing Hats ‘See one. Do one. Teach one.’ – Anonymous (and every resident ever) ‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.’ – Benjamin Franklin This edition of LipidSpin is focused on how the Lipid Specialist can leverage technology in the COVID-19 era. Like all important clinical ideas, the concepts begin in the clinic. We learn about a patient who has high-risk features, who has challenges that prevent optimal engagement, and for... more
EAMON Y. DUFFY, MD, MBA FRANCOISE A. MARVEL, MD KATHLEEN BYRNE, CRNP SETH S. MARTIN, MD, MHS	Clinical Feature: Lipid-Management in the Era of COVID-19 Using Telehealth and Other EHR-Based Tools The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has become the primary focus of the healthcare system and a primary concern for our patients. The pandemic has required months of social distancing, and in-person medical visits have been partially replaced with telehealth visits. This transformation of care delivery has challenged every aspect of medicine, especially the management of chronic diseases such as hyperlipidemia. Care of the patient with hyperlipidemia has traditionally involved regular inperson... more
CAROLINE deRICHEMOND, CRNP, CLS, FNLA YASSER KHALIL, MD	EBM Tools for Practice: Using EHR-Based Clinical Information Systems to Improve Detection and Treatment of FH Historically, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated disease. It is estimated that 90% of individuals with FH remain undiagnosed in the United States.(1) FH patients have ten to twenty-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, cardiovascular risk in this subgroup of patients does not differ significantly from the general population with appropriate early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. (2) Electronic health record (EHR) tools can... more
CASEY ELKINS, DNP, MEd, NP-C, CLS, FNLA ERICA KINDIG, MSN, MS, FNP-C	Lipid Luminations: Impact of Telehealth on Individuals with Barriers The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)has changed many aspects of our day-to-day life, including healthcare and how it is delivered.(1) This public health emergency has necessitated a shift in the methods utilized to provide patient care. Prior to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, use of various forms of digital health including telehealth (apps, emails, patient portals, SMS) and telemedicine (video visits or remote digital monitoring devices) was... more
EUGENIA GIANOS, MD, FACC, FASE, FNLA RACHEL NAHRWOLD, AGNP-BC	Practical Pearls: How I’m Utilizing Telehealth and EHR-Based Tools to Change my Practice We can all agree that life has now been forever divided into eras of ‘before and after the coronavirus of 2019 (COVID19)’ with a tidal shift impacting our personal lives and every aspect of medical care, including the traditional healthcare appointment. COVID-19 has highlighted the suboptimal risk factor control of our patients that predisposes them to worse outcomes, disparities in access to clinical care, and the multiple inefficiencies of our current healthcare system. With these factors... more
DEBORAH CROY, DNP, ANP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, CLS, AACC, FNLA MELISSA COLEMAN, RN, BSN, SFNP	Case Study: Telemedicine as an Option in the Metabolic Primary Care Patient Introduction Telemedicine can help deliver care for cardiometabolic disorders, however it has not been used often by primary care providers in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).(1,2) FQHC patients have higher prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders which increases their susceptibility to develop the SARS CoV2 infection. The application of telemedicine may improve access and outcomes for the direct consequences of cardiometabolic disorders and the indirect... more
LANEY K. JONES, PharmD, MPH DAVID KANN, MD, MPH, FNLA	Specialty Corner: Application of Implementation Science to Improve Uptake of Electronic Tools Electronic capture and storage of health information is a potentially powerful tool. When electronic information is captured in a way that is translatable across multiple platforms and stored in an easily accessible platform, it provides longitudinal information regarding patients and their health histories that can be used for clinical medicine as well as for quality improvement and research. This information can also be leveraged to uncover medication adherence patterns which can then be... more
ANIL VARUGHESE, MD PARTH PATEL, MD DEVINDER DHINDSA, MD DANNY J. EAPEN, MD LAURENCE S. SPERLING, MD, FACC, FACP, FAHA, FASPC	Guest Editorial: Telehealth Visits in the Real World: How Best to Use Them, for Whom, and in What Payment Models? Throughout history, the field of medicine has been innovative in the evaluation, management, and treatment of healthrelated problems, as well as in embracing transformational technologies. One realm of medical innovation that has been brought to the forefront recently is telehealth. The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the economic landscape, altered the way we carry out daily activities, and put an immensurate strain on our healthcare system. During this time, to... more
KAREN ASPRY, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, FNLA	NELA Chapter Update: Collaborative Events to Keep NELA Strong in the Coming Year The 2020-21 NELA Chapter was happy to co-sponsor this edition of the LipidSpin on Telehealth, and the NELA Chapter board would like to personally thank all NELA/ SELA contributors to this issue. The NELA Chapter board and representatives came together for a conference call for the first time in the fall of 2020. We were not able to meet in person in June, so it was even more exciting to hear everyone’s voice and share ideas on how to raise the profile of the NLA in these... more
DAVE L. DIXON, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, AACC, FNLA	SELA Chapter Update: SELA Not Slowing Down Despite Ongoing Pandemic Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, SELA continues to stay active by supporting various initiatives that will provide useful resources to our members. SELA is supporting the Foundation of the NLA by providing funds to translate numerous patient handouts on various topics, including triglycerides and hearthealthy grocery shopping. Understanding we take care of patients who come from all over the world, these translations will expand the Foundation’s ability to translate patient... more