What You’ll Learn

Constipation occurs in at least 70% of patients living with a serious illness and often goes unrecognized. After completing this course, learners will have the tools to successfully identify and manage the impact of constipation.

Learning outcomes for this course include:

  1. Discuss the impact of constipation on quality of life for patients with a serious illness.
  2. Explain the assessment of constipation.
  3. Identify potential etiologies, with particular attention to the use of opioids.
  4. Describe evidence-based pharmacologic interventions for constipation.
  5. State foods that can be used as non-pharmacologic interventions for constipation.
  6. Discuss the evidence for popular complementary approaches for constipation.

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: 1.50 CNE, 0.75 Pharmacotherapy
  • Social Work: 1.25 CE (NYSED)

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

Commonly Prescribed Laxatives

Medications and dosing guidance for stimulant and osmotic laxatives. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2025.

Symptom Management Glossary

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

Course References: Constipation

Course citations. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2025.

Fast Fact #15: Constipation

Mechanisms of constipation and best approaches to treatment.

Fast Fact #294: Opioid Induced Constipation Part 1: Established Management Strategies

Non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches to managing opioid-induced constipation.

Fast Fact #295: Opioid Induced Constipation Part II: Newer Therapies

Treating opioid-induced constipation, including how and when to use newer therapies.

Physicians

Medical Society of the State of New York

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 joint providership of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) and Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). MSSNY is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Medical Society of the State of New York designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

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

As an ACCME-accredited provider, MSSNY is required to identify and mitigate relevant financial relationships of all individuals in control of CME content.

Financial relationships are relevant if the following three conditions are met for the prospective person who will control content of the education:

✓ A financial relationship, in any amount, exists between the person in control of content and an ineligible company.

✓ The financial relationship existed during the past 24 months.

✓ The content of the education is related to the products of an ineligible company with whom the person has a financial relationship.

Harini Sarva, MD, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs member, has disclosed that she has served as a researcher for Bukwang, Sun pharma, and Genentech.

None of the other individuals in control of content have relevant financial relationships to disclose. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Released: 3/03/2025; Valid for credit through 1/15/2028

Estimated Time of Completion: 60 Minutes

Physician Assistants

The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME. The Medical Society of the State of New York designates this enduring material with 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ 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.

Connecticut Nurses' Association

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.

Minutes: 90 minutes or 1.50 contact hours

Valid from: 3/03/2025 through 3/03/2027

This course meets the requirements of the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners to offer 0.75 Category 1 Designated Pharmacotherapeutic Credit Hours as required for maintenance of national certification for nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. This activity incorporates current clinical application of pharmacology across the life span including: drug specific information, safe prescribing practices and information, safe medication administration, prescribing methodologies, new regulations and/or similar content.

How to Achieve Contact Hours: To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the entire course, receive a minimum score of 80% on the post-test (within 3 attempts), and complete the course evaluation. A printable certificate of completion or a continuing award document specific to the discipline will be awarded. If the participant does not successfully score an 80% or better within 3 attempts they must re-take the course from beginning to end.

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. No relevant financial relationships were identified for any individuals with the ability to control content of the activity.

Social Workers

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 3/03/2025 - 7/31/2027. This program has been approved for 1.25 continuing education contact hours.

Certified Case Managers

This program is approved by The Commission for Case Manager Certification (Approval # 250000650) to provide 1.25 continuing education credits to CCM® board certified case managers.

Released: 3/03/2025; Valid for credit through 3/03/2026.

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 and Additional Information

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.

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.

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.

Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN. Nurse Planner Consultant, Center to Advance Palliative Care

Kesha Wall Graham, LISW-CP, ACM-SW, AHPSW-C. Consultant Social Work Content Expert

Evan Zazula, DMin, MAPCC. Faculty, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Mt. Sinai

Sherika Newman, DO. CAPC Consultant and Peer Reviewer, Founder, Doctor in the Family, Atlanta, GA based company

Brittany Chambers, MPH, MCHES. CAPC Director, Health Equity and Special Initiatives

Charles Gonzalez, MD. Chair, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs

James Braun, DO. Vice-Chair, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs

Daniel Faustin, MD. Member, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs

John Maese, MD. Member, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs

Kevin Plancher, MD. Member, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs

Harini Sarva, MD. Member, MSSNY Subcommittee on Educational Programs

Miriam Hardin, PhD. MSSNY CME Manager

Mike illustrated by Kriota Willberg

Martha/Bernard illustrated by Bishakh Som

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.

New
Anxiety

After completing this course, learners will be equipped with evidence-based strategies to identify and treat anxiety in patients living with a serious illness.

New
Depression

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

New
Dyspnea

After completing this course, learners will have the tools they need 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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