Check your manuscript against CARE.
- Guideline
- CARE 2013
- Items
- 13
- Criteria
- 30
- Sections
- 1
- Applies to
- case report
Single-patient case reports across specialties. The form is short. The items most often missed are the timeline, the patient perspective and consent.
Named by many clinical journals in their case-report instructions and endorsed by the EQUATOR Network.
CARE 2013 · CAse REport guidelines
What comes back30 criteria
Showing all 30 criteria.
- Title1Title1The diagnosis or intervention of primary focus followed by the words “case report”
- Key words2Key words22 to 5 key words that identify diagnoses or interventions in this case report, including “case report”
- Abstract3aAbstract3aIntroduction: what is unique about this case and what does it add to the scientific literature?
- 3b3bMain symptoms and/or important clinical findings
- 3c3cThe main diagnoses, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes
- 3d3dConclusion: what is the main “take-away” lesson from this case?
- Introduction4Introduction4One or two paragraphs summarizing why this case is unique (may include references)
- Patient information5aPatient information5aDe-identified patient specific information
- 5b5bPrimary concerns and symptoms of the patient
- 5c5cMedical, family, and psycho-social history including relevant genetic information
- 5d5dRelevant past interventions with outcomes
- Clinical findings6Clinical findings6Describe significant physical examination and important clinical findings
- Timeline7Timeline7Historical and current information from this episode of care organized as a timeline
- Diagnostic assessment8aDiagnostic assessment8aDiagnostic testing (such as physical examination, laboratory testing, imaging, surveys)
- 8b8bDiagnostic challenges (such as access to testing, financial, or cultural)
- 8c8cDiagnosis (including other diagnoses considered)
- 8d8dPrognosis (such as staging in oncology) where applicable
- Therapeutic intervention9aTherapeutic intervention9aTypes of therapeutic intervention (such as pharmacologic, surgical, preventive, self-care)
- 9b9bAdministration of therapeutic intervention (such as dosage, strength, duration)
- 9c9cChanges in therapeutic intervention (with rationale)
- Follow-up and outcomes10aFollow-up and outcomes10aClinician and patient-assessed outcomes (if available)
- 10b10bImportant follow-up diagnostic and other test results
- 10c10cIntervention adherence and tolerability (how was this assessed?)
- 10d10dAdverse and unanticipated events
- Discussion11aDiscussion11aA scientific discussion of the strengths and limitations associated with this case report
- 11b11bDiscussion of the relevant medical literature with references
- 11c11cThe scientific rationale for any conclusions (including assessment of possible causes)
- 11d11dThe primary “take-away” lessons of this case report (without references) in a one paragraph conclusion
- Patient perspective12Patient perspective12The patient should share their perspective in one to two paragraphs on the treatment(s) they received
- Informed consent13Informed consent13Did the patient give informed consent? Please provide if requested
CARE 2013 checklist items reproduced from the published guideline. Gagnier JJ, Kienle G, Altman DG, Moher D, Sox H, Riley D; CARE Group. The CARE guidelines: consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development. Free to use with attribution, per the CARE Group.
What comes back
See one item in fullThe same form, marked against your own manuscript.
The sample above is an illustration. On your manuscript, all 30 criteria come back marked, and the ones that fall short raise a mark in the margin of the paper itself.
- Met, partly met, not met or not applicable, for every item
- Each item highlighted in your text, ready to amend
- What is missing, how to fix it, and where in the paper it belongs
- The whole form, downloadable as a marked spreadsheet
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