This 2-day Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Clinical Immersion course is designed for the Merck Pharmaceutical clinical science team, sales team, and marketing teams. This course will introduce and codify the basic knowledge and strategies that PAH specialists employ in the evaluation and treatment of PAH. It begins with an intensive introduction to the pathophysiology and classification of pulmonary hypertension (PH).

The learners will then be introduced to the clinical evaluation of PH in accordance with current professional society guidelines. The tools of clinical evaluation will be introduced via lecture, guided demonstration, and small group interactive activities such as demonstration of echocardiography on a live model and with video examples, pulmonary artery catheter cases including simulation and waveforms, and active participation in some of the diagnostic testing and strategies that are employed in the evaluation of PH.

Learners will then be introduced to the concept of risk stratification, including testing and scoring systems, to help them understand how treatment decisions are made. The faculty will then introduce the learners to the pharmacologic treatment of PAH, including a tour of the individual drugs and the key studies that guide our treatment decisions. In addition, the learners will have an introduction to nonpharmacologic therapies and possible therapeutic pathways in PH. The course includes numerous small group activities such as roundtable discussions; exposure to the devices used in the diagnosis and treatment of PH; and multidisciplinary views from physicians, nurses, and pharmacies regarding PAH therapy. The denouement will include discussion with patients and the journey of patients with PAH.