Faculty

Aakash Desai, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Thoracic and Phase 1 Oncology
O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama

Provided by

Provided by Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education

Supporters

Supported by an educational grant from Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC.

Merck Sharp & Dohme, LLC

Target Audience

This activity is intended for oncologists, nurse practitioners, physician associates, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals caring for patients with newly diagnosed advanced/metastatic NSCLC in rural community cancer practices.

Program Learning Goal

This activity aims to elevate learners' knowledge, confidence, and competence at aligning rural cancer care with recent data and best practices to optimize the clinical outcomes of each patient with advanced/metastatic NSCLC eligible for immunotherapy-based treatment.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Identify patients with newly diagnosed advanced/metastatic NSCLC at risk for health inequities due to access to care, race/ethnicity, age, or other sociodemographic factors
Implement best practices in molecular testing and interpreting results to identify every patient with newly diagnosed advanced/metastatic NSCLC eligible for immunotherapy
Collaborate with each patient and the multidisciplinary team to personalize an immunotherapy-based treatment plan for newly diagnosed advanced/metastatic NSCLC with consideration for the latest data, expert recommendations, and patient preferences
Educate all eligible patients and their caregivers on the risk–benefit profile and goals of immunotherapy-based treatment using effective communication strategies and resources
Manage immune-related adverse events associated with immunotherapy-based treatments to maximize quality of life and clinical outcomes in each patient with newly diagnosed advanced/metastatic NSCLC

Disclosure

Decera Clinical Education requires instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose all financial conflicts of interest (COI) they may have with ineligible companies. All relevant COI are thoroughly vetted and mitigated according to Decera Clinical Education policy. Decera Clinical Education is committed to providing its learners with high-quality CME/CE activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of an ineligible company.

The faculty reported the following relevant financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they have with ineligible companies related to the content of this educational activity:

Primary Author

Aakash Desai, MD, MPH: consultant/advisor/speaker: AbbVie, Amgen, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, ConcertAI, Foundation Med, Janssen, Lilly, Merus, Regeneron, Sanofi.

The planners and content peer reviewers from Decera Clinical Education do not have any relevant financial relationships to disclose, except Kristi K. Orbaugh, MSN, NP, AOCNP, as noted below.:

Kristi K. Orbaugh, MSN, NP, AOCNP: speaker: AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, DSI, Exelixis, Lilly, Pfizer, Sobi, Stemline.

Instructions for Credit

Participation in this self-study activity should be completed in approximately 1 hour. To successfully complete this activity and receive credit, participants must follow these steps during the period from April 14, 2026, through October 13, 2026:

Login or Sign Up for an account by clicking at the top of this page.
Read the target audience, learning objectives, and faculty disclosures.
View and study the content in its entirety.
Submit answers to the posttest questions and evaluation questions online.

You must receive a test score of at least 65 and respond to all evaluation questions to receive a certificate. After submitting the evaluation, you may access your online certificate by selecting the certificate link on the confirmation page. Records of all CME/CE activities completed can be found on the "My Certificates" page. There are no costs/fees for this activity.

Format

This program has been made available online.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Accreditation

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Continuing Medical Education

Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Continuing Professional Development

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Nursing Continuing Professional Development activity is 1 contact hour.

Continuing Pharmacy Education

Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education designates this continuing education activity for 1 contact hour (0.10 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Universal Activity Number: JA4008176-0000-26-259-H01-P

Type of Activity: Application

Upon successfully completing the post-test with a score of 65% or better and the activity evaluation form, transcript information will be sent to the NABP CPE Monitor Service within 60 days.

Physician Associate Continuing Medical Education

Clinical Care Options, LLC dba Decera Clinical Education has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1 AAPA Category 1 CME credit. Approval is valid until October 13, 2026. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1 MOC point in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

For ABIM MOC points, your information will be shared with the ABIM through Decera Clinical Education’s Joint Accreditation Program and Activity Reporting System (JAPARS). Please allow 6-8 weeks for your MOC points to appear on your ABIM records.

By sharing your Diplomate Board ID # and DOB, you are giving Decera Clinical Education permission to use this information/data to report your participation to these Boards via the Joint Accreditation Program and Activity Reporting System (JA-PARS).

CME for MIPS

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Completion of this accredited CME activity meets the expectations of an Accredited Safety or Quality Improvement Program (IA_PSPA_28) for the Merit-based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS).

In order to fulfill requirements for MIPS improvement activity, participants will need to fill out 2 brief follow-up surveys at 30- and 90-days post-activity.

IPCE Credit Designation

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This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 1 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.

CME Passport

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The CME credits that physicians earn from this activity will be submitted to ACCME's CME Passport, a free, centralized web application where you can create a personalized account to view, track, and generate transcripts of your reported CME credit. Visit www.cmepassport.org to create your account.

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Optimizing Multidisciplinary Care of Immunotherapy-Eligible Patients With Newly Diagnosed Advanced NSCLC: Strategies for Rural and Community Practices

Video