The 2018 workshop on case analyses and literature assessments on dyslipidemia

The 2018 workshop on case analyses and literature assessments on dyslipidemia was held on May 19 and 20, by the Japanese Society for Applied therapeutics. The theme of this workshop was “dyslipidemia“ whose guidelines, the Guidelines for Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases, were revised in 2017.Members of the organizing committee were divided among the courses, case analyses, and literature assessments. They had been preparing in advance and they acted as preceptors on that day. During literature assessments, depending on the case in the case analyses and considering the randomized controlled trials aimed at primary prevention of cardiovascular events, two literatures were selected from the major sources outlined on the guideline. Each literature was used for the “exercise literature” or for the “challenge one”, respectively. We distributed materials of lecture, “exercise and challenge literatures”, and examples of the checklist and worksheet regarding the “exercise literature” among the participants before the workshop. We encouraged them to study in advance. The participants were divided into four groups. Each group assessed the “challenge literature” using the checklist, listed the points and limitations they identified on the worksheet during a small group discussion (SGD). They then presented the worksheet and they all held a discussion as one group. Finally, whether the results of the literatures could be applied to the case was discussed by the whole group. Participants not only acquired the skill of literature assessments, but also learned the application process of the acquired skills in clinical practice. However, some challenges persisted and one of them was a gap in the progress between the groups. One of the reasons for this gap was considered to differences in the extent of study undertaken in advance of the participants. It is necessary to select “easy to read“ papers and improve the preparation process carried out in advance in order to avoid excessively imposing on the participants. Another problem identified was the need to assess the severity of diseases and determine treatment goals when considering the applicability of literatures to treatment cases. The authors expect that the skills of literature assessments that can be used in clinical practice will be spread to pharmacists through this workshop.