Performance improvement CME: Long-term treatment of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a chronic, multidimensional syndrome that, if present in childhood, is likely to persist into adulthood. Currently, this condition is 1 of the 10 leading causes of disability among adults. Patients with bipolar disorder present with predominantly depressive symptoms, have a high risk for suicidality, and have considerable physical, social, and occupational/academic impairments, signaling an exigent need for the proper acute and long-term management of the disorder. Performance Improvement CME (PI CME) is an educational activity in which clinicians retrospectively assess their current clinical practice, choose areas for improvement and implement interventions based on treatment guidelines and health care standards, and then re-evaluate their clinical practice to assess the improvements made. This PI CME focuses on improving the overall treatment of bipolar disorder in order to prevent relapse and promote optimal outcomes for children and adults with this condition.