Background: Gout is the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. This clinical practice guideline (CPG) aims to provide recommendations based on systematically obtained evidence and values and preferences tailored to the unique needs of patients with gout and hyperuricemia in Asia, |LORENZO Et aL. | INTRODUC TI ONGout is the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. 1 Its prevalence increased steadily in various countries: 2.7% in the 1990s to 3.9% in early 2000 in the United States and from 3.4 per 1000 in 2007 to 7.6 per 1000 persons in 2015 in Korea. 2,3 The prevalence is higher in certain ethnic groups.The risk for tophi formation tends to be higher after controlling for age, gender, hypertension, diuretic use, and kidney function. 4 Varying prevalence across ethnic groups indicates that genetics affects its development and the individual's risk when exposed to environmental or dietary variables. 5,6 Despite scientific advancements, disease control of gout is suboptimal. 2,3 Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) from Western and several Asian countries have provided recommendations for the management of gout. [7][8][9] However, the need to formulate unified Asia-Pacific recommendations was recognized. This CPG aims to provide evidence-based recommendations in managing gout in its different phases: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute gout, intercritical gout, and chronic tophaceous or complicated gout. It covers both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions (NPI) with consideration of the unique needs of patients with gout in Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East. The target users of these guidelines are general practitioners and specialists, including rheumatologists, in different clinical settings in these regions. | G UIDELINE DE VELOPMENT ME THODSThe Steering Committee (SC) formed the guideline development working groups (GDG), formulated the guideline questions (Table 1) in PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome) format, and oversaw the CPG processes (Figure 1). The Technical Working Group (TWG) appraised and summarized the evidence, applied the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to determine the certainty of evidence, and drafted the recommendations.The Consensus Panel (CP) was composed of 9 key stakeholders (rheumatologists, general practitioners, academicians, and a patient representative) from Australia,

Purpose: To connect didactic learning to clinical application is a challenging task both for the teachers and students. Target-Oriented Clinical Skill Enhancement (TOCSE) is a teaching and learning tool that integrates basic medical sciences at the clinical level. The authors sought to determine if TOCSE is effective in bridging didactic knowledge to clinical skill and enhancing the clinical performance of fourth year medical students. Method: Between March 2021 and June 2021, in an online platform, the authors randomly allocated 141 fourth year medical students into the experimental (n=12 groups; n=63) and control groups (n=12 groups; n=78). Participants in the experimental group underwent the TOCSE module workshop while the control group utilized the standard method of teaching. The actively teaching faculty staff blinded of group allocation were invited to assess case presentations using a standardized rubric. A survey was done by the students (experimental and control) to evaluate how they perceived TOCSE to their performance and learning. Independent parametric t-test was performed to compare the clinical skill scores between the two groups. Results: The experimental group had a mean clinical skill score of 35.29 (SD=2.64, excellent) while the control group had a mean clinical skill score of 31.96 (SD=4.04, satisfactory). The between-group comparisons using independent t-test indicated that the mean difference of -3.33 clinical skills scores between the experimental and control groups was statistically significant (t=–2.39, p=0.026, 95% CI=–6.22 to –0.45). Moreover, the perceived usefulness score (scale 10 as highest) among the TOCSE presenters (experimental groups) was 8.43 (SD=0.84) and scores among the TOCSE audience (control groups) was comparable at 8.36 (SD=0.71), both of which were interpreted as very helpful. Conclusion: TOCSE is effective in bridging didactic knowledge to clinical skill and enhancing clinical performance of fourth year medical students.

Background: Self-evaluation can augment the facilitation of acquiring knowledge, skills and attitude through a reflective method. Self-assessment video (SAV) can be a very useful reflective method tool that is student-centered and self-directed. Objective: This study aimed to identify if SAV is an effective supplementary learning tool in improving cardiovascular examination knowledge, skills and attitude of second year medical students. Methodology: A quasi-experimental two-group design with pre- and post-test was used. The study population by convenience sampling involved second year medical students of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. A structured direct observation checklist on cardiovascular precordial examination was used, done on two occasions in a week interval period. The said examinations were recorded in a video and evaluated and scored by two independent facilitators on these two occasions. The experimental group had the opportunity to review their videos immediately after the two examinations and accomplished self-assessment form. One-Way Repeated Measures Multivariate Analysis of Variance (One-Way RM-MANOVA), a parametric multivariate test for between- and within-group comparison of multiple dependent variables was used. Results: It showed that there was a significant improvement in all parameters measured after the intervention (SAV in the experimental group compared to the control group). Conclusion: The study showed that SAV is an effective supplementary learning tool in cardiovascular examination attitude, knowledge, and skills, and can be a very useful teaching and learning self-evaluation tool. Key words: Self-Assessment Video, Reflective Learning, Self-Directed Learning, Learning Tools, Evaluation Tools.

The best online teaching practices in the Internal Medicine Clerkship Program during the COVID-19 pandemic in the oldest university in Southeast Asia and oldest medical school in the Philippines was presented. Time constraint was a big factor during the unforeseen lockdown. There was a need to retool the faculty and provide institutional support to maximize the utilization of the existing online learning platform for the graduating medical clerks. The task to equip medical clerks with all the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude of a basic physician in such a short a time is colossal. So much so that this pandemic paved the way to adopt the best online learning and teaching practices that is expected to be a part of the blended learning even beyond the lockdown. The future of this COVID-19 pandemic is still bleak as of the moment, but as such it would defi nitely strengthen the position of online learning as an effective alternative or better still, a replacement of the traditional learning method. The COVID-19 pandemic has fostered acceptance of the online mode as an auspicious choice for the teaching and learning method in the future.

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