The use of single case studies by academic general practitioners

To compare the use of the single case for teaching, clinical, and research by academic general practitioners (GPs) with other academic specialists.

A questionnaire study involving all four departments of general practice in New Zealand and other academic departments from the Wellington School of Medicine. The main outcome measures were respondents' publication history, details of the last single case they published, the use of single cases for teaching, and opinion of the usefulness of the single case in teaching, clinical, and research work.

33 academic GPs and 41 other academic specialists (response rate was 97% versus 79%). All doctors reported 3.6% of all their publications were as single cases. General practitioners were less likely to publish at least one single case compared to specialist (24% versus 59%). The characteristics of the single cases published varied widely with 70% categorised as 'rare' or 'first ever' cases of a disease or problem. More GPs compared to specialists thought cases encountered in clinical work could influence subsequent cases (100% versus 83%). All doctors considered single cases to be useful for teaching and clinical uses, but only a little useful for research. However, 23% of all doctors stated that a single case had been a stimulus for their own research work. Furthermore, a textual analysis found doctors used single cases as examples of research possibilities and to influence other doctors.

Single cases had important teaching and clinical uses among academic doctors. However, GPs were less likely to publish single cases than their specialist colleagues. This may reflect the smaller pool of academic GPs in New Zealand. Single cases were ranked low among research methodologies, but were considered to have an important triggering role for doctors doing research.