The CARE guidelines: consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development.

Area of Science:

• Medical Writing
• Clinical Research Methodology

Background:

• Case reports are crucial for medical insights but often lack rigor due to inconsistent reporting.
• Lack of standardized reporting hinders clinical practice and study design.
• A need exists for systematic guidelines to enhance the quality of case report publications.

Observation:

• A three-phase consensus process involving 27 participants was used to develop reporting guidelines.
• This process included literature review, interviews, a consensus meeting, and pilot testing.
• The outcome was a 13-item checklist for case report guidelines.

Findings:

• The developed checklist, named CARE (CAse REport) guidelines, includes essential components like title, keywords, abstract, patient information, clinical findings, and outcomes.
• Key elements also cover diagnostic assessment, therapeutic interventions, follow-up, discussion, patient perspective, and informed consent.
• The checklist aims to standardize the structure and content of medical case reports.

Implications:

• Implementation of CARE guidelines by journals will improve the completeness and transparency of published case reports.
• Standardized case reports can inform clinical study design and provide early signals of treatment effectiveness and harms.
• Improved case report aggregation can enhance healthcare delivery and evidence-based medicine.