patient consent for case report

by Wilfrid Christiansen 9 min read

Informed Consent for Case Reports - PMC

20 hours ago A new international standard of editorial policy calls for written informed consent by the subject of every case report. Although this appears to be ethically appealing, the authors posit that in some situations, requesting informed consent may be unethical, can harm patients, and may erode the use of case reports as a valuable teaching method in psychiatry and psychotherapy. >> Go To The Portal


Don’t publish a case report without the patient’s consent. As explained above, informed patient consent is mandatory for the publication of your case reports. Ignoring this requirement can result in a rejection for your work and worse, ruin your relationship and reputation with patients. However, there is an exception for publishing a case report without patient consent when the benefit of publication toward to society outweighs potential harm for individual.

Consent is certainly required under a confidentiality analysis for the publication of case reports that contain any identifiable information. Consent is arguably required under an autonomy analysis for all case reports.

Full Answer

Do patients read consent forms?

They often do not read consent forms carefully because they assume that someone else has scrutinised the risks and benefits on their behalf. Interviews with 103 patients showed that many factors influence a decision to take part in medical research (Hastings Center Report 1996;26 (5):25-9).

Is your medical consent properly informed?

Informed consent to medical treatment is fundamental in both ethics and law. Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments so that they can make well-considered decisions about care. Successful communication in the patient-physician relationship fosters trust and supports shared decision making.

What is a patient consent?

The physician provided his patient with a dense seven-page consent form, in which specific surgical risks, like tissue necrosis, were mentioned; she signed the consent form. However, the physician did not engage in any detailed discussions with his patient ...

Is informed consent possible?

Informed consent is not only required for clinical trials but is an essential prerequisite before enrolling each and every participant in any type of research involving human subjects including; diagnostic, therapeutic, interventional, bioequivalence, social and behavioral studies and for all research conducted domestically or abroad.

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Do you need patient consent for case reports?

Although not technically required, especially if the case report does not include any identifying information, some journals require informed consent for all case reports before publishing. The CARE guidelines recommend obtaining informed consent AND the patient's perspective on the treatment/outcome (if possible).

Do case reports require ethical approval?

Case reports and studies intended for quality improvement are often considered not research and do not need IRB approval. Nevertheless, there should be some processes of clearing those studies with respect to ethical handling of patients and related data.

Do case reports need IRB approval?

Under HIPAA, a case report is an activity to develop information to be shared for medical/educational purposes. Although the use of protected health information to prepare the paper does not require IRB review, the author of a case report must comply with HIPAA.

What are the 3 requirements of consent?

Valid informed consent for research must include three major elements: (1) disclosure of information, (2) competency of the patient (or surrogate) to make a decision, and (3) voluntary nature of the decision. US federal regulations require a full, detailed explanation of the study and its potential risks.

How do you write an ethics report?

Identify and analyze an ethical problem, develop a position on that problem (e.g., a recommendation about what one of the stakeholders should do), develop an argument to support that position, and defend your position against at least one objection.

What does BMC Medical Ethics stand for?

BMC Medical Ethics is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in relation to the ethical aspects of biomedical research and clinical practice, including professional choices and conduct, medical technologies, healthcare systems and health policies.

Does case report count as research?

The case report is a research design where an unexpected or novel occurrence is described in a detailed report of findings, clinical course, and prognosis of an individual patient, which might be, but not mandatory, accompanied by a review of the literature of other reported cases.

What is the difference between case study and case report?

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.

Are case studies exempt from IRB review?

As a result, case studies generally qualify for exempt review by the IRB provided that the study (a) does not involve a sensitive topic, (b) is conducted in a manner that protects subjects' identity, and (c) does not involve at-risk or special populations.

What are the 4 types of consent?

Implied Consent. Participation in a certain situation is sometimes considered proof of consent. ... Explicit Consent. ... Active Consent. ... Passive Consent. ... Opt-Out Consent. ... Key Takeaway.

What are the 8 basic elements of informed consent?

B. Basic Elements of Informed ConsentDescription of Clinical Investigation. ... Risks and Discomforts. ... Benefits. ... Alternative Procedures or Treatments. ... Confidentiality. ... Compensation and Medical Treatment in Event of Injury. ... Contacts. ... Voluntary Participation.

What are the 4 elements of informed consent?

There are 4 components of informed consent including decision capacity, documentation of consent, disclosure, and competency. Doctors will give you information about a particular treatment or test in order for you to decide whether or not you wish to undergo a treatment or test.

What is required to submit a case report?

Journals often have specific requirements for publishing case reports, which could include a requirement for informed consent, a letter or statement from the IRB and other things.

What should I do after writing a case report?

Once you have written a draft of the case report, you should seek feedback on your writing, from experts in the field if possible, or from those who have written case reports before .

Why is it important to write a case report?

the reason you would go to the trouble of writing one, is that the case is sufficiently unique, rare or interesting such that other medical professionals will learn something from it.

Does CHM have funding for publication?

It is best practice to check the journal's Info for Authors section or Author Center to determine what the cost is to publish. CHM does NOT have funds to support publication costs, so this is an important step if you do not want to pay out of pocket for publishing.

Is it free to publish a case report?

Be aware that it may not be free to publish your case report. Many journals charge publication fees. Of note, many open access journals charge author fees of thousands of dollars. Other journals have smaller page charges (i.e. $60 per page), and still others will publish for free, with an "open access option".

Do you need informed consent for a case report?

Although not technically required, especially if the case report does not include any identifying information, some journals require informed consent for all case reports. The CARE guidelines recommend obtaining informed consent AND the patient's perspective on the treatment/outcome (if possible).

Do journals have informed consent?

Journals may have their own informed consent form that they would like you to use, so please look for this when selecting a journal. Once you've identified the case, selected an appropriate journal (s), and considered informed consent, you can collect the required information to write the case report.

Does a doctor have to disclose your name?

Dr. (insert name) is obligated to protect your privacy and not disclose your personal information (information about you and your health that identifies you as an individual e.g. name, date of birth, medical record number). When the case report is published or presented, your identity will not be disclosed.

Can a case report be published?

A case report may be published ( in print and/or via internet dissemination) for others to read, and/or presented at a conference. This form explains the purpose of this case report. Please read this form carefully and take your time to make your decision and ask any questions that you may have.

Why are case reports important?

As a method of documenting a single clinical observation, case reports offer timely and valuable information , especially with regards to rare diseases. They show medical professionals how fellow practitioners have acted in similar situations and thus aid in the decision-making process by sharing best practices.

What happens if a case is unique but not well documented?

This is not only a waste of your precious time but also a discouragement which might prevent you from producing more case reports in the future.

Can you publish a case report without consent?

Don’t publish a case report without the patient’s consent. As explained above, informed patient consent is mandatory for the publication of your case reports. Ignoring this requirement can result in a rejection for your work and worse, ruin your relationship and reputation with patients.

How many authors should be in a case report?

Case reports should have a maximum of four authors, of which at least one must have been involved in the patient’s care. All authors must have made an individual contribution to the writing of the article and not just been involved with the patient’s care.

Is BMJ a copyright?

Copyright and authors’ rights. BMJ Case Reports authors are required to grant B MJ an assignment of the copyright in the report unless an author is a Crown employees or where BMJ has agreed CC BY applies, in which case a non exclusive licence is granted to BMJ.

Does BMJ accept case series?

BMJ Case Reports does not accept case series. However, if we feel that an article makes a point better by including more than one case, we will consider the article. If your case report involves more than three patients, please contact the editorial office so that we can assess your case. Each case will be peer reviewed by at least two external ...

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