What are the key points to reflect while considering the case report series in BMJ?

Key points

1. Clinical Significance: Ensure that your case report series addresses an important clinical issue or provides valuable insights into a particular condition, treatment, or clinical practice.
2. Ethical Approval: Confirm that your study has obtained the necessary ethical approvals and patient consent, adhering to ethical standards and patient privacy regulations.
3. Novelty and Uniqueness: Highlight the novelty and uniqueness of your case series. Explain how your cases contribute to the existing medical literature or offer new perspectives.
4. Clear and Concise Writing: Write your case report series clearly and concisely. Use structured headings and subheadings to organize the content, making it easier for readers to follow the narrative.
5. Detailed Case Descriptions: Provide comprehensive descriptions of each case, including patient history, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, treatments, and outcomes. Include relevant images or diagnostic tests.
6. Discussion of Cases: Analyze and discuss the cases in the context of the current medical literature. Explain how your findings contribute to the understanding of the condition or treatment.
7. Limitations: Acknowledge the limitations of your case report series, including potential biases, small sample size, or other relevant issues.
8. Patient Consent and Anonymity: Ensure that patient anonymity is preserved and patient consent for publication is obtained. Follow BMJ’s guidelines on patient consent and confidentiality.
9. References: Cite relevant and up-to-date references to support your medical case series and discussion. Follow BMJ’s referencing style.
10. Figures and Tables: Use figures, tables, and images to illustrate key points in your case series. Ensure they are of high quality and well-labelled.
11. Compliance with BMJ’s Guidelines: Familiarize yourself with BMJ’s specific guidelines for case reports and ensure your submission adheres to their formatting, referencing, and other requirements.
12. Peer Review: Be prepared for the peer review process. Reviewers may provide feedback and suggestions to improve the quality and clarity of your case report series.
13. Patient Consent for Images: If your case report includes images of patients, obtain explicit consent for the publication of those images and respect patient privacy.
14. Ethical Considerations: Discuss any ethical dilemmas or considerations that arose during the course of your study or in the management of the cases.
15. Informed Consent: Clearly describe how informed consent was obtained from patients or their legal representatives.
16. Clinical Implications: Discuss the clinical implications of your findings and how they may influence patient care or medical practice.
17. Transparency and Honesty: Be transparent and honest in presenting your case report series. Avoid exaggeration or overinterpretation of results.
18. Formatting and Style: Follow BMJ’s formatting and style guidelines for case reports to ensure your submission meets their requirements.
19. Authorship and Contributions: Clearly define the contributions of each author and ensure all contributors meet the criteria for authorship.
20. Abstract and Keywords: Craft a concise and informative abstract that accurately summarizes the key findings and implications of your case report series. Select appropriate keywords for indexing.

• Check our Examples to get an understanding of our adaptability across case-report topics and subject domains.