MNHS: Health sciences case report

What is the purpose of a case report?

A case report in health sciences is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. In responding to a clinical scenario, case reports provide an opportunity for you to develop your critical thinking as they require you to question, analyse, evaluate and make judgements regarding how you would approach and respond to a patient-based scenario as a healthcare professional.

The following sample illustrates how some of these expectations may be met in a written case report. Throughout the sample a lecturer has provided constructive feedback to highlight areas that are well written and areas that require attention.

Note

This sample is provided to give suggestions about what you might include in your assessment and how it could be structured. This sample is also not perfect. Always follow the assessments instructions provided in your unit's assessment information to ensure you are addressing the assessment criteria.