Getting Published

1. Getting Published Gavin Leslie Judy Currey Andrea Marshall Leanne Aitken

2. Workshop Outline • Update on ACC • Preparing a case study for publication • Update on electronic publishing

3. Case Studies - Purpose • Informative critique of patient care • Facilitates learning from past experiences • Allows clinicians to share management plans for challenging patients • Develops problem solving skills • Facilitates development of practice guidelines

4. Educational Message • Essential component of case study • Might include: • Raising awareness of issue • Outlining new understanding of condition, complication or treatment • Clarifying previously unclear aspect of pathophysiology or care

5. Educational Message Patterson et al Successful Outcome in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Study. J. Neuroscience Nursing 2005; 37(5): 236 – 42: • Abstract - “This case study explores the potential benefit of combining multimodality monitoring and TBI guidelines in the management of severe TBI” • Conclusion – “This case study demonstrates how neurocritical care management with MMM can control ICP, maximize CPP and prevent devastating secondary injury.”

6. Educational Message Dwivedi et al Interactive Care Report: A 28 year old post partum woman with right sided chest discomfort. BMJ 2006; 332: 406, 471, 643 • Presented in 3 sections: • Case presentation • Case progression • Case outcome • “highlights the importance of ruling out coronary artery disease …. The exercise test is truly diagnostic in only 40% of patients …. Stress echocardiography is a reliable and cost effective method for diagnosis and risk assessment ….”

7. Principles • Describe a real patient who required significant and challenging care • No intention to generalise care beyond this specific case • Sufficiently complex to raise interest care issues • Not so rare that few readers will care for a similar patient

8. Totally original condition / new disease Rare and previously sparsely reported condition Unusual presentation of a common disease Unexpected association between two relatively uncommon symptoms / signs Impact of one disease process on another Unexpected event in the course of observing or treating a patient Impact of a treatment regime of one condition on another disease Unexpected complication of treatment or procedure New and unique treatment Honest mistakes in management Categories of Case Reports Chelvarajah R & Bycroft J Writing and publishing case reports, Acta Neurochir, 2004; 146: 313-6

9. Principles cont. • All aspects of background that impact on care should be described • Outcome should be included • Incorporate relevant illustrations • Maintain privacy of patient • Critically appraise care • Incorporate literature where appropriate

10. Format • Abstract • Introduction • Case description • Discussion • Conclusion

11. Abstract • Format dependent on journal • Describe clinical problem or care • Clearly state what the educational message is

12. Introduction • Set the scene • Identify how common the situation / condition is • What makes this case interesting? • Reference this to the known literature so readers can refer

13. Case Description • Include all relevant background, e.g.: • Past health history • Social history • Current problem • Do not provide unnecessary / irrelevant information • Consider how to sequence information

14. Case Description cont. • Aspects of care to incorporate: • Assessment information • Treatment information • Care of the family • Interpersonal care

15. Discussion • Provides a critique of the care • Commentary on care that was not effective and possible reasons • Incorporate relevant literature and comments on the consistency of this case with the literature

16. Conclusion • Links to the introduction • Emphasises the educational message • Outline implications for practice and recommendations for future research

17. Style of a Case Study • Combination of ways of providing information, e.g.: • Essay style • ‘text boxes’ with clinical details • Ensure ease of reading

18. Summary • Need to be interesting • Must have educational message • Follow a structured format