Optimizing case reports and case series: guidance on how to improve quality

Abstract

Case reports and case series remain an important part of journals and are often first to document medical breakthroughs. This article reviews their characteristics, aims and limitations. It provides information on how to increase the validity of the bedside decision-making process that these studies report, using tools such as validated outcomes and split-body or n-of-1 trials. A section describing tools to improve writing of case reports and case series provides suggestions for detailed reporting and good evaluation of novelty, validity and relevance. It includes general and British Journal of Dermatology-specific guidance.

The Curious Case of “Case Report” of Infections Caused by Human and Animal Fungal Pathogens: An Educational Tool, an Online Archive, or a Format in Need of Retooling

“…As mentioned in the opening section, many journals have instituted a checklist for quality control of case reports being submitted for publication. The essential elements of writing a case report with the help of the checklist are covered in detail elsewhere [32][33][34][35][36].…”

“…However, the overall impact of case reports relative to other publication formats is mixed when an expanded list of benefits and metrics are used for their assessment [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. In a sign of definite progress, a consensus toward standardized format for the case report has emerged among specific disciplines with the use of checklist to ensure high-quality reporting by the prospective authors [32][33][34][35][36][37].…”

Enduring support for the case report

“…However, the comforting familiarity of this structure is in no way a substitute for the fundamental message conveyed in a high‐quality case report or series . A good case report should formulate a hypothesis and prick one's curiosity .…”

“…However, the comforting familiarity of this structure is in no way a substitute for the fundamental message conveyed in a high-quality case report or series. 5 A good case report should formulate a hypothesis and prick one's curiosity. 6,7 It might serve as a reminder of a known finding, offer a more complete description of a rare disorder or its associations, or occasionally present an entirely new entity.…”

“…For this reason, peer review of case reports is essential for making sure that they stand up to scrutiny in delivering a meaningful message and warrant the precious reading time afforded them by the journal's readership. Similarly, adhering to structures for case reporting, such as the CAse REport (CARE) guidelines, will ensure that there is as much concordance between reports and series as possible, enabling better amalgamation of information and the potential for systematic reviews of case reports.…”