Useful information for writing a Medical case study
Medical case studies are written to help draw out a treatment plan for patients. The treatment plans often include a patient's particular diagnosis. Most of the times, case studies are written on unusual diagnosis or complications that may have arisen during the course of treatment. When these types of case studies are written, they are usually submitted to peer- reviewed journals. Writing a medical case study follows a strict format that has to be adhered to. Before writing your medical case study, it is important that you do so in association with your supervising physician and colleagues. This association will enable you to collect adequate information about the patient whose case is under review. In addition, you get the proper consent to write and publish this case study. The following steps are important if you want to start writing your medical case study.
1.
Select your case
The first step to selecting a case to write about is to look out for patients with usual or rare illnesses. These types of case studies get quickly approved as opposed to selecting a popular disease that has already been extensively written about. When you have selected the case you want to work on, it is advisable to pay really close attention to any treatment plans available for the patient. Note whether this treatment plan has any striking positive or negative impact on the patient in question.
Your next step would be to talk with your senior consultants about the case study. Let them know in advance that you intend writing about a particular illness. They can prove to be valuable sources of information. They may even provide you with the much needed assistance. You may also choose to have a few selected colleagues to contribute to the case study.
2.
Do your Research
This is the important part. Start your research by reading current literature on the topic. Read peer reviewed articles. Seek out literature that deals with the current available treatment options on the disease. If possible seek assistance from your local hospital's librarian. She can help you with current and up to date reports that may prove useful to your case study.
3.
Obtain patient consent and information
The next step would be to go about obtaining your patient's consent. Without it, your case study is heading nowhere. Medical ethics requires you to obtain the patient's consent which has to be in written format. Get information about the patient's demographics like age, gender, medical history, current diagnosis etc. Your aim here is to provide as much information about your patient as you possibly can to inform your audience. The information collected should also include any x-rays, lab reports or any other clinical reports.
4.
Write your case study
Having gathered all your facts thus far, it is time to write your case study. Follow the standard format when writing your report. This will usually include an abstract, introduction, case presentation, discussion, conclusion and bibliography. It is often preferable to write your abstract after you conclude you report. Check with the publication you intend to submit your case study. Know if there is any writers' guideline to follow. This will ensure you don't break any rules in the process of writing your case study.
