2. How to publish a case report
Dr Kieran Walsh,
Editor,
BMJ Learning

3. Case report Rare or unreported Condition Feature of condition
Association
Complication
Intervention 3

4. Stages in writing a case report
Finding a rare case
Collecting information related to the case
Literature search
Writing 4

5. Consent Written Don’t anonymise Consent form of publication
Informed consent
Patient’s phone number 5

6. Finding a case
Your own
Ask around
“Bottom drawer” 6

7. Did it happen before? Ask Your own literature search
Librarian literature search 7

8. Writing a case report Introduction - very short The report— the story
History – only positives
Exam – only positives
Tests
Progress
Treatment and outcome
Discussion—review of literature
Message
?? Recommendations
References 8

9. Writing a case report Get copies—do not take the originals
Digital copies 9

10. How to get accepted Rare rare rare Relevant
Science/scientific arguments 10

11. What journal? BMJ General medical journal Specialist journals
Journal of medical case reports
BMJ case reports
. . . and how many authors? 2! 11

12. Choose the meeting Does it take abstracts?
Is there a chance it would take yours?
Does it publish abstracts in a journal supplement?
Will I be able to go?
Will I get a reduced fee as a presenter? 12

13. Choose the meeting The abstract deadline – six months ahead?
Will they accept “work in progress”? 13

14. Write it up
What happens to your abstract on submission? 14

15. How to avoid automatic rejection?
Word count
Format
Font size 15

16. Potential problems 16

17. Authorship Authorship credit should be based on:
Substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data?
Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content?
Final approval of the version to be published?
All of the above?
To avoid disputes over attribution of academic credit, decide before you start. Read the target journal’s “Advice to Authors.” Don’t gift authorship. 17

18. Conflicts of interest?
You received a travel bursary of £200 from a relevant company two years ago
You own stock in a competing company
You are a member of an academic body that may be influenced as a result of research even though you will not benefit personally in any way
You have based your research reputation on a certain treatment even though you have no financial interests in the treatment 18

19. Conflicts of interest
May be personal, commercial, political, academic, or financial
“Financial” interests may include employment, research funding, stock or share ownership, payment for lectures or travel, consultancies, and company support for staff
Conflicts of interest arise when authors, reviewers, or editors have interests that are not fully apparent and that MAY influence their judgments on what is published. They have been described as those which, when revealed later, would make a REASONABLE reader feel misled or deceived. 19

20. Conflicts of interest?
The solution?
Declare them 20