Editorial: Telling our stories of practice through the genre of the case report

Abstract

Case reports are very well established in the literature. Despite the fact we live in an evidence-based age, in which the information that can be generated from a single case is positioned rather low on the hierarchy of evidence, case reports continue to be popular. It is the humanity of the accounts and the fact they are centered on the therapeutic encounter between a real patient and a treating clinical team that makes them so engaging and absorbing and that brings events to life and makes case reports such a valuable educational resource. There is quite a strong discourse in the literature around the genre of the case report and its value in capturing the uncertainty that can accompany the treatment of complex and unusual clinical problems, and the challenges that can arise for clinicians when anticipated outcomes do not occur. Case reports provide the means to record all manner of clinical events; including adverse events, rare and unusual clinical problems, and describe our roles and actions within them.