case report on patient medical school

During medical school, students often come across patients with a unique presentation, an unfamiliar response to treatment, or even an obscure disease. Writing a case report is an excellent way of documenting these findings for the wider medical community—sharing new knowledge that will lead to better and safer patient care.

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What is a case report for medical students?

This page is intended for medical students, residents or others who do not have much experience with case reports, but are planning on writing one. What is a case report? A medical case report, also known as a case study, is a detailed description of a clinical encounter with a patient.

How to write a patient case study?

Writing Your Patient Case Study 1 Work on Your Introduction Select a case. You have to identify your focus and scope for the study. ... 2 Get to Know the Participants You can have one or multiple case participants. ... 3 Perform Data Analyses Method Your results will depend on your interpretation of the raw data. ... 4 Report the Case Study Results

What is a clinical case report in nursing?

WHAT IS A CLINICAL CASE REPORT? A case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence and as such, remain one of the cornerstones of medical progress and provide many new ideas in medicine.

How to prepare a case study analysis for medical scenarios?

The medical scenarios are open to the researcher’s interpretation and input of insights. The following are reminders on how to prepare your case study analysis. 1. Work on Your Introduction Select a case.

Can a medical student write a case report?

Case reports are the first-line of evidence in the medical literature, and provide medical students and junior doctors with a great opportunity to develop their writing skills. Getting a case report published will certainly look impressive on any CV.

How do you write a patient case report?

III. Patient case presentationDescribe the case in a narrative form.Provide patient demographics (age, sex, height, weight, race, occupation).Avoid patient identifiers (date of birth, initials).Describe the patient's complaint.List the patient's present illness.List the patient's medical history.More items...•

What is a case report medical school?

A case report is a way of communicating information to the medical world about a rare or unreported feature, condition, complication, or intervention by publishing it in a medical journal.

Can you write a medical case report about yourself?

You can write it up and submit it. You may have more success if you get a senior physician in the relevant field on it as well. If all else fails, you can publish it in an open access journal as long as your check clears.

How do you write an introduction for a case report?

The introduction gives a brief overview of the problem that the case addresses, citing relevant literature where necessary. The introduction generally ends with a single sentence describing the patient and the basic condition that he or she is suffering from.

How do you start a report?

The first section you start writing in your report is always a summary or introduction. This should stretch across just one or two pages to give your reader a brief glimpse into what your results or findings are.

What is the difference between a case report and a case study?

Case studies are widely used in psychology to provide insight into unusual conditions. A case study, also known as a case report, is an in depth or intensive study of a single individual or specific group, while a case series is a grouping of similar case studies / case reports together.

How do you introduce a patient in a case study?

First, we describe the complaint that brought the patient to us. It is often useful to use the patient's own words. Next, we introduce the important information that we obtained from our history-taking. We don't need to include every detail – just the information that helped us to settle on our diagnosis.

What is a patient case presentation?

A patient case presentation is a demonstration of a learner's knowledge and skills related to the management of disease states and drug therapies through application to an actual patient case. Typical Information Included in a Patient Case Presentation. 1.

How long should a medical case report be?

The word count for case report may vary from one journal to another, but generally should not exceed 1500 words, therefore, your final version of the report should be clear, concise, and focused, including only relevant information with enough details.

How do you ask a doctor to write a case report?

How to write a case reportDetermine if your topic is significant and unique enough to write about.Choose the journal where you want your case report featured.Ask a physician to collaborate with you.Request permission from the patient.Compile all your paperwork, research and relevant information.More items...•

How many pages should a case report be?

In conclusion, there is no right or wrong in how long a case study should be there is however some guidelines to follow. The recommended number of pages should be somewhere between 5-15. This seems to be an appropriate form to stick to.

How do you write a good patient care report?

There are seven elements (at a minimum) that we have identified as essential components to documenting a well written and complete narrative.Dispatch & Response Summary. ... Scene Summary. ... HPI/Physical Exam. ... Interventions. ... Status Change. ... Safety Summary. ... Disposition.

What should a patient case study include?

Case: This section provides the details of the case in the following order:Patient description.Case history.Physical examination results.Results of pathological tests and other investigations.Treatment plan.Expected outcome of the treatment plan.Actual outcome.

What is the format for report writing?

Report writing is a formal style of writing elaborately on a topic. The tone of a report and report writing format is always formal. The important section to focus on is the target audience. For example – report writing about a school event, report writing about a business case, etc.

How do you write a nursing patient report?

How to write a nursing progress noteGather subjective evidence. After you record the date, time and both you and your patient's name, begin your nursing progress note by requesting information from the patient. ... Record objective information. ... Record your assessment. ... Detail a care plan. ... Include your interventions.

What is a medical case report?

A medical case report or a case report is a document that is centered around studying new medical problems, the medical history of a patient and th...

Why is a medical case report so important?

The reason why it is so important is because it gives doctors and medical practitioners the information that they need.

Who writes the medical case report?

Doctors, nurses and those who take up medical fields are often the ones who are told to write a medical case report.

What do medical students learn from patient cases?

By offering to write up such a case, medical students will learn how to perform a literature review, communicate with various physicians in charge with the care of the patient, structure a manuscript, gain consent from the patient, collect data from various sources in the clinic, and how to submit and revise the manuscript. All of these skills are worth crafting early in the career of a medical student. Additionally, reporting single cases and series of cases is an important aspect of clinical research, especially for medical students, who often have limited funds for research and eagerness to contribute to medical science.

What is a case report?

A case report is a detailed narrative that usually illustrates a diagnostic or therapeutic problem experienced by one or several patients. Case reports commonly serve as the first line of evidence for new interventions or they function as alarms that an issue exists with an already established therapy. Case reports are of minor importance in evidence-based medicine; however, they make meaningful contributions to both the knowledge and education of medical students, residents, and fellows. Case reports are written with the goal of sharing information for medical, scientific, or educational purposes. They often serve as medical or even undergraduate students’ first experience with medical writing and they provide a solid foundation for manuscript preparation and publication. In the last few decades, there has been an exponential increase in medical student research, specifically in the number of manuscripts published by medical students. It is important to foster this academic spirit among students by encouraging them to become involved in research. This editorial will focus on the value and educational benefits of writing case reports for medical students, university students, residents, and fellows.

Why do we need case reports?

Case reports may serve as a source for detecting rare adverse events, at times leading to the removal of drugs from the market. Going back to the example of psoriasis, the phenomenon of psoriasis exacerbation with the use of interferon alpha was first described in a case report [ 10 ]. There are abundant examples of severe side effects of drugs that were detected after the drugs were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Furthermore, case reports help to identify side effects due to interaction between drugs, as well as side effects due to drugs being given to patients with renal failure.

Why is reporting single cases important?

Additionally, reporting single cases and series of cases is an important aspect of clinical research, especially for medical students, who often have limited funds for research and eagerness to contribute to medical science.

What is clinical learning in medical school?

Clinical learning during medical school and residency is to a large degree case-based [ 4 ]. Case presentations are often found in textbooks, conferences, daily team rounds, or departmental grand rounds. Case reports or presentations are an excellent tool for sharing educational experience. Some of the important educational objectives that case reports introduce include enhancing awareness of rare disorders to facilitate diagnosis, clarifying new aspects on the etiology of a disorder, clarifying misunderstood treatment response, and describing how to avoid future mistakes [ 5 ].

What is the purpose of writing a case report?

By writing a case report or case series, students gain experience in literature search and medical writing. Also, students execute the steps of evidence-based medicine, which consists of formulating a clinical question, finding the best evidence, critically appraising the evidence, and applying the evidence to the patient.

Why is it important to write a case report?

Furthermore, writing a case report can be an excellent preparation or exercise in a medical student’s career, often preparing one for a scientific career [ 4 ]. Students will be able to add the publications to their curriculum vitae for residency and fellowship applications. They will also be able to present some of the cases at local, national, and regional medical conferences, enabling them to meet peers and faculty in the area of their interest, thus enhancing their networking skills.

What skills do medical students need to write a case report?

The writing of a case report rests on skills that medical students acquire in their medical training, which they use throughout their postgraduate careers: these include history taking, interpretation of clinical signs and symptoms, interpretation of laboratory and imaging results, researching disease aetiology, reviewing medical evidence, and writing in a manner that clearly and effectively communicates with the reader.

Why do you need to show a patient the case report?

Once you have chosen your patient and discussed with them what you would like to write, show them the case report so that they may give informed consent to your manuscript submission and familiarise themselves with the website.

Why is it important to use key words in case reports?

Your choice of key words is therefore important as these are the basis for the assignment of reviewers. Keywords are also important for other authors doing literature searches who discover your case report and cite this in their own writing.

How long does it take to get a decision on a manuscript?

Dependent on how quickly your manuscript is reviewed, you should receive a decision on your manuscript within three to six weeks of submission.

What is a case report?

A case report is the first line of medical evidence, and over time has become an important medium for sharing new findings (box 1). High quality case reports successfully bring together the various domains of medicine such as physiology, pathology, and anatomy. Using the patient as the focus, case reports provide a clinical “coat peg” on which to hang this knowledge.

Why is it important to write up rare diseases?

Early or subtle signs and symptoms that are easily missed are important for us to learn from. Indeed, the learning value of your case is the single most important factor in determining whether it is likely to be published.

How to write a take home message for a case report?

Begin with the case presentation (box 2): describe your encounter with the patient, their symptoms, and their signs. You should already have an idea what your take home messages will be. If the journal presentation of the case report allows, you can write these take home messages as bullet points (box 3).

What is a case report?

A case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence and as such, remain one of the cornerstones of medical progress and provide many new ideas in medicine. Some reports contain an extensive review of the relevant literature on the topic. The case report is a rapid short communication between busy clinicians who may not have time or resources to conduct large scale research.

What is the conclusion of a case report?

A case report ends with a conclusion or with summary points, depending on the journal's specified format. This section should briefly give readers the key points covered in the case report. Here, the author can give suggestions and recommendations to clinicians, teachers, or researchers. Some journals do not want a separate section for the conclusion: it can then be the concluding paragraph of the Discussion section.

Why do we publish cases?

The most common reasons for publishing a case are the following: 1) an unexpected association between diseases or symptoms; 2) an unexpected event in the course observing or treating a patient; 3) findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect; 4) unique or rare features of a disease; 5) unique therapeutic approaches; variation of anatomical structures.

Do you need informed consent for a case report?

Informed consent in an ethical requirement for most studies involving humans, so before you start writing your case report, take a written consent from the patient as all journals require that you provide it at the time of manuscript submission. In case the patient is a minor, parental consent is required. For adults who are unable to consent to investigation or treatment, consent of closest family members is required.

Who is the author of the essay "The importance of medical case reports"?

Fran çoise Salager-Meye r. The essay emphasises the importance of medical case reports. It defines the medical case report by referring to Sigmund Freud's and Paul Pierre Broca's works and analyses the attitude of the medical scientific community towards this type of publication.

What is the importance of case reports?

It defines the medical case report by referring to Sigmund Freud's and Paul Pierre Broca's works and analyses the attitude of the medical scientific community towards this type of publication. A question arises whethercase reports still have a role in furthering medical knowledge and education. An overview of the applied linguistics literature on this subject is presented.

What is a patient case study?

Writing Your Patient Case Study. Since patient case studies are generally descriptive, they are under the a phenomenological principle. This means that subjectivity is entertained and allowed in research design. The medical scenarios are open to the researcher’s interpretation and input of insights.

How do case studies make a difference in the medical arena?

Patient case studies make a difference in the medical arena by reporting clinical interactions that can improve medical practices, suggest new health projects, as well as provide a new research direction. By looking at an event as it exists in the natural setting, case studies shed understanding on a complex medical phenomenon.

What is case study in medical?

It is a well-established empirical research approach that illuminates a stand-out case of a subject or a group of subjects. In the end, it seeks to introduce new information for the understanding of the nature of a disease or medical condition in the context of someone who has lived it. Patient case studies make a difference in the medical arena by reporting clinical interactions that can improve medical practices, suggest new health projects, as well as provide a new research direction. By looking at an event as it exists in the natural setting, case studies shed understanding on a complex medical phenomenon.

What is a case study?

Case studies are a qualitative research method that offers a complete and in-depth look into some of the situations that baffled medical science. They document the cases that escape the ordinary in a hospital that has seen a manifold of plights. They serve as cautionary tales of the intricacy in dealing with human health.

Why are case studies important?

However, case studies offer a comprehensive and exhaustive treatment on a complicated subject matter in a real-life setting. This research method lets you gain an appreciation for a concept beyond what cold, hard facts can provide. There is no single approach to science and knowledge.

Why do medical practitioners use case studies?

Medical practitioners use case studies to examine a medical condition in the context of a research question. They perform research and analyses that adhere to the scientific method of investigation and abide by ethical research protocols. The following are case study samples and guides on case presentation.

Can you generalize a population using one case study?

You cannot generalize a population using one case study. However, multiple case study contains two or more cases under the point of interest can give you a replicated result. When the findings remain true for several cases under this research method, your case study’s results become more reliable.

What is a case report?

case report is a detailed narrative that usually illustrates a diagnostic or therapeutic problem experienced by oneor several patients. Case reports commonly serve as the first line of evidence for new interventions or they functionas alarms that an issue exists with an already established therapy. Case reports are of minor importance inevidence-based medicine; however, they make meaningful contributions to both the knowledge and education ofmedical students, residents, and fellows. Case reports are written with the goal of sharing information for medical,scientific, or educational purposes. They often serve as medical or even undergraduate students’ first experiencewith medical writing and they provide a solid foundation for manuscript preparation and publication. In the lastfew decades, there has been an exponential increase in medical student research, specifically in the number ofmanuscripts published by medical students. It is important to foster this academic spirit among students byencouraging them to become involved in research. This editorial will focus on the value and educational benefitsof writing case reports for medical students, university students, residents, and fellows.

Why are case reports important?

The role of case reports is to provide descriptive in-formation about a clinical patient scenario and toshare this educational experience with the generalmedical and scientific community [1]. Furthermore,case reports foster an educational medium in dissem-inating new and rare diseases, thus increasing theknowledge of evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, andprognosis of diseases [2]. This editorial outlines whytraditional case reports are not only valuable to thegeneral medical community, but are also an integralpart of medical education and clinical training. Thiseditorial also hopes to inspire medical students, resi-dents, and fellows of all disciplines to write and con-tinue writing case reports.

What is a case presentation?

Case presentation has always been a time-honored andimportant tool of medical education and inpatient care,and has consisted of presenting challenging medicalcases to an audience of medical students, residents, andattending physicians [3]. Grand rounds has a tradition inmedicine dating back to the presentations of Sir WilliamOsler, known by many as the father of modern medicine,at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Often, patientswith disorders that are rare, difficult to treat, or challen-ging to diagnose are discussed during grand rounds.Grand rounds function as a teaching tool to increasemedical knowledge and improve medical care. By par-ticipating in these events, medical students and residentsenhance critical reasoning skills and learn new informa-tion as well as ways to avoid potential mistakes.Similarly to grand rounds, case reports are a valuabletool for medical students and residents to recognizeclinical questions as they arise in the daily clinical prac-tice. Students are then permitted to formulate an

What to do when something is abnormal to a patient?

If something is abnormal to a patient, explain how it differs from normal for them. If a patient can’t walk without being SOB, you must explain how far could they walk before.

What are the comorbidities in PMH?

In your PMH include big comorbidities such as diabetes, asthma/COPD, heart failure, liver disease, and kidney issues.

What to ask a patient for heart failure?

Indicate what medications they’re currently taking and how compliant they are. Ask the patient how many pillows they sleep with under their head as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is a common symptom. Also, ask about their baseline weight (will go up in a heart failure exacerbation) and what their diet/fluid intake is like.

Is it important to include symptoms of MI that they don't have?

It’s equally as important to include symptoms of an MI that they don’t have.