Single cases in general practice and general medical journals

Area of Science:

• Medical Literature Analysis
• Publication Trends in Medicine
• Scientific Communication

Background:

• Single case publications are a common format in medical journals.
• Understanding the characteristics and reporting quality of single cases is crucial for medical literature.
• General practice and general medical journals represent distinct publication venues for medical research.

Observation:

• A systematic review analyzed 10,607 publications across general practice and general medical journals.
• Single cases constituted just over 7% of publications, primarily as reports/reviews in general practice and letters in general medical journals.
• Reporting of patient demographics varied significantly, with consent documented in only 5% of cases.

Findings:

• General practitioners (GPs) and specialists differ in their publication types and case focus.
• General practice journals primarily publish case reports and reviews, while general medical journals feature letters and original research.
• Inconsistent reporting standards were observed, with limited guidance on required data elements and consent procedures.

Implications:

• There is a need to improve the quality and consistency of data reporting in single case publications, particularly regarding patient consent.
• The distinct publication patterns suggest different roles for single case studies in general practice versus general medical literature.
• Encouraging more general practitioners to publish single cases could broaden the scope of reported clinical experiences.