Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Chiropractic Medicine logoLink to Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
. 2006;5(2):72–82. doi: 10.1016/S0899-3467(07)60137-2

How to write a case report for publication

Bart N Green a,b,*, Claire D Johnson c,d
PMCID: PMC2647062  PMID: 19674676

Abstract

Objective

This paper describes how and why to write a case report for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Methods

PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the Index to Chiropractic Literature were searched from 2000 through September 2006 using the following search terms: case report, authorship, peer review, and manuscript. Relevant manuscripts were retrieved and the results were used to update a previous narrative overview of the literature.

Discussion

Commensurate with the increased use of evidence-based health care and recent changes in publication requirements, new standards are expected of case reports. Case reports should present new information to the literature and be written succinctly. The types of case reports available are discussed. Steps for preparing a case report are described based upon the current available literature.

Conclusion

Case reports are important contributions to the health sciences literature. Proper preparation of this study design is necessary in order for it to be published. A self-evaluation check sheet for authors is included to assist in the writing process.

Key Indexing Terms: Case Report; Authorship; Peer Review, research; Manuscripts

Footnotes

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

Sources of support: no external funding was received for this project.

References

  • 1.Janicek M. Clinical case reporting in evidence-based medicine. Butterworth-Heinemann; Oxford: 1999. [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Fenton JE, Khoo SG, Ahmed I, Ullah I, Shaikh M. Tackling the case report. Auris Nasus Larynx. 2004;31:205–207. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2004.05.005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Cohen H. How to write a patient case report. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006;63:1888–1892. doi: 10.2146/ajhp060182. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.McCarthy LH, Reilly KE. How to write a case report. Fam Med. 2000;32:190–195. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Iles RL, Piepho RW. Presenting and publishing case reports. J Clin Pharmacol. 1996;36:573–579. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1996.tb04220.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Chelvarajah R, Bycroft J. Writing and publishing case reports: the road to success. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2004;146(3):313–316. doi: 10.1007/s00701-003-0203-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Pierson DJ. Case reports in respiratory care. Respir Care. 2004;49:1186–1194. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.White A. Writing case reports: author guidelines for Acupuncture in Medicine. Acupunct Med. 2004;22:83–86. doi: 10.1136/aim.22.2.83. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Vandenbrouke JP. Case reports in an evidence-based worls. Jr Soc Med. 1999;92:159–162. doi: 10.1177/014107689909200401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Martyn C. Case reports, case series and systematic reviews. QJMed. 2002;95:197–198. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/95.4.197. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Godlee F. Applying research evidence to individual patients. BMJ. 1998;316:1621–1622. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7145.1621. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Procopio M. Publication of case reports. Br J Psychiatry. 2005;187:91. doi: 10.1192/bjp.187.1.91. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Moed HF, Van Leeuwen TN. Improving the accuracy of Institute for Scientific Information's journal impact factors. J Am Soc Inf Sci. 1995;46:461–467. [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Sorinola O, Olufwobi O, Coomarasamy A. Instructions to authors for case reporting are limited: a review of a core journal list. BMC Med Educ. 2004;4:4. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-4-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Croll TP. Preparation of a dental case history report for publication. J Am Dent Assoc. 1981;102:59–61. doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.1981.0015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.DeBakey L, DeBakey S. The case report. I. Guidelines for preparation. Int J Cardiol. 1983;4(3):357–364. doi: 10.1016/0167-5273(83)90097-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Green BN, Johnson CD. Writing patient case reports for peer-reviewed journals: secrets of the trade. J Sports Chiropr Rehabil. 2000;14:51–59. [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Keating JC. Towards a philosophy of the science of chiropractic: a primer for clinicians. Stockton Foundation for Chiropractic Research; Stockton, CA: 1992. pp. 199–222. [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Walter G, Rey JM, Dekker F. The humble case report. AustNZJ Psychiatry. 2001;35:240–245. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00870.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.American Medical Association . 51 landmark articles in medicine. American Medical Association; Chicago: 1985. [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Doherty M. What value case reports? Ann Rheum Dis. 1994;53:1–2. doi: 10.1136/ard.53.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Gehlbach SH. Interpreting the medical literature. McGrawHill, Inc; New York: 1993. p. 17. [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Grimes DA, Schulz KF. Descriptive studies: what they can and cannot do. Lancet. 2002;359:145–149. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07373-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Squires BP. Case reports: what editors want from authors and peer reviewers. CMAJ. 1989;141:379–380. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Green BN, Johnson CD, Andrew T, Martin P. Improving historical research reports: a case report format and example in Arden Zimmerman, DC. J Chiropr Humanit. 1998;8:43–54. [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Kratochwill TR, Levin JR. Single-case research design and analysis: new directions for psychology and education. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers; Hillsdale, NJ: 1992. pp. 1–14. [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Keating JC, Giljum K, Menke M, Lonczak RS, Meeker WC. Toward an experimental chiropractic: time series designs. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1985;8:229–238. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Polgar S, Thomas SA. Introduction to research in the health sciences. Churchill Livingstone; Melbourne: 1995. pp. 99–105. [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Waalen JK. Single subject research designs. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 1991;35:95–97. [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Riddoch J. Evaluation of practice. Physiotherapy. 1991;77:439–444. [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Helawa A, Walker JM. Critical evaluation of research in physical rehabilitation: towards evidence-based practice. W.B. Saunders Co; Philadelphia: 2000. p. 28. [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Bayoumi AM, Kopplin PA. The storied case report. CMAJ. 2004;171:728. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1031503. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 33.Green BN, Johnson CD. Writing better case reports. J Sports Chiropr Rehabil. 2000;14:46–47. [Google Scholar]
  • 34.Brodell RT. Do more than discuss that unusual case: write it up. Postgrad Med. 2000;108 doi: 10.3810/pgm.2000.08.1192. Available from: http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2000/08_00/editorial.htm [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Plaisance L. The ‘write’ way to get published in a professional journal. Pain Manag Nurs. 2003;4:165–170. doi: 10.1016/s1524-9042(03)00031-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 36.Dixon N. Writing for publication: a guide for new authors. Int J Qual Health Care. 2001;13:417–421. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/13.5.417. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 37.Johnson CD. Questioning the importance of authorship. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2005;28:149–150. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2005.02.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 38.Har-El G. Does it take a village to write a case report? Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999;120:787–788. doi: 10.1016/S0194-5998(99)70314-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 39.International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: writing and editing for biomedical publication. ICMJE; Philadelphia: 2006. Available from: http://www.ICMJE.org [updated 2006 Feb; cited 2006 Oct 1] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 40.Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Pub. L. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936 (1996). [PubMed]
  • 41.Kljakovic M. Single cases in general practice and general medical journals. Aust Fam Physician. 2002;31:669–673. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 42.Green BN. Ensuring the privacy of protected health information in research. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2005;28:461–462. [Google Scholar]
  • 43.Reed ME. The HIPAA Privacy Rule: what it means for submissions to the journal. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2003;111:1751–1752. doi: 10.1097/01.PRS.0000063093.01792.18. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 44.Schachat AP. What is HIPAA and what effect may it have on our journal? Ophthalmology. 2003;110:1074–1075. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00252-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 45.Levine SB, Stagno SJ. Informed consent for case reports: the ethical dilemma of right to privacy versus pedagogical freedom. J Psychother Pract Res. 2001;10:193. 101. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 46.Bevan JC, Hardy JF. Permission to publish case reports/case series. Can J Anesth. 2004;51:861–866. doi: 10.1007/BF03018880. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 47.Singer PA. Consent to the publication of patient information. BMJ. 2004;329:566–568. doi: 10.1136/bmj.329.7465.566. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 48.HIPAA and case reports—need some help [homepage on the Internet]. Ontario: World Association of Medical Editors; c2004 [cited 2006 Oct 1]. Available from http://www.wame.org/hipaa.htm#
  • 49.Nakayama T, Hirai N, Yamazaki S, Naito M. Adoption of structured abstracts by general medical journals and format for a structured abstract. J Med Libr Assoc. 2005;93:237–242. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 50.Lawrence DJ. Structured abstracts and the JMPT. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1992;15(2):77–82. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 51.Lawrence DJ, Mootz RD. Research Agenda Conference 3: editor's presentation: streamlining manuscript submission to scientific journals. J Neuromusculosket Syst. 1998;6:161–167. [Google Scholar]
  • 52.Price DD, Bush FM, Long S, Harkins SW. A comparison of pain measurement characteristics of mechanical visual analogue and simple numerical rating scales. Pain. 1994;56:217–226. doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(94)90097-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 53.Vernon H, Mior S. The neck disability index: a study of reliability and validity. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1991;14:409–415. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 54.Wright SM, Kouroukis C. Capturing zebras: what to do with a reportable case. CMAJ. 2000;163:429–431. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 55.Durbin CG. Effective use of tables and figures in abstracts, presentations, and papers. Respir Care. 2004;49:1233–1237. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 56.CMAJ. 1983;129:705–710. Anon. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Chiropractic Medicine are provided here courtesy of National University of Health Sciences

RESOURCES