Scholarly Skills Series: How to Succeed in Writing Case Reports

Abstract

Case reports serve an important entry point for scholarship in palliative care (PC), yet many clinicians lack a practical roadmap for moving from an interesting encounter to a publishable article. In this inaugural article for the Journal of Palliative Medicine “Scholarly Skills Series,” we provide a concise, replicable framework for writing case reports with a PC lens. We focus on the PC adaptation of the CAse Report (CARE) guidelines while providing a structured three-phase framework. Organized into a “Before, During, After” structure, we outline key steps and common pitfalls, including selecting a publishable case, establishing authorship roles, obtaining informed consent, conducting a literature search, and framing the report using the CARE guidelines. We offer pragmatic guidance on article construction, journal targeting, submission logistics, and navigating revision, rejection, and resubmission. A summary table of “Do’s and Don’ts” highlights actionable practices to streamline the process and improve the likelihood of publication. This guide is designed for those seeking a standardized approach that supports academic development, team-based and trainee scholarship, and dissemination of clinically meaningful lessons in serious illness care to positively impact patient care outcomes.