Course Description:

Therapists are treating patients at higher acuities and with more comorbidities in nearly every clinical setting. Successful management of these patients requires an expanded knowledge of their disease processes and how they manifest clinically. This course provides readers with an expanded practical and clinical understanding of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, renal disease, and diabetes mellitus. Readers will also learn several unique perspectives about patient behaviors and how to improve compliance and functional outcomes for “difficult” patients. Research, discussion, and real-world examples have been provided to help readers apply many of these theories and approaches in order to facilitate better outcomes. Topics covered include caregiver burden, compliance, self-efficacy, the “difficult” patient, and salience, among others.