WORKSHOP Friday, May 26, 1:30-4:45
An Introduction to Clinical Case Reporting for CAM
Practitioners
Speakers: Trish Dryden, MEd, RMT, Janet Kahn, PhD, NCTMB
Background: To increase safe and effective client
care, and to achieve or maintain professional status and recognition.
CAM practitioners are increasingly expected to develop research capacity
("the ability to design and conduct research studies").
Few educational opportunities exist for practitioners to learn and apply
evidence-informed, outcomes-based research methods in their practices.
Rationale: Careful case reporting has always
been, and remains, an important component of communication in most health
professions. Even medical journals such as JAMA and NEJM, devoted primarily
to reporting findings of major studies continue to publish case reports,
acknowledge their importance to both continuing clinical education and
public health. CAM practitioners need to learn to write and publish
solid case reports. It will refine vocabulary and develop a shared language
to narrate the experiences of clinical treatment and help to develop
a dialogue both within and between professional disciplines. In addition,
by honing skills of in-depth exploration and description of important
cases, CAM practitioners will begin to name the conditions and outcome
variables for clinical trials.
Objectives & Description: Consistent with the
research capacity building objectives in CAM education, in this interactive
workshop, participants will select research questions from practice
and proceed through the phases of drafting each section of a case report
or case series. Topics covered will include: ethical considerations
of studying clients, identification of a research question, literature
review, case report design, outcomes and measurement, analysis, report
writing, peer review and manuscript submission. In addition, participants
may chose to participate in a research study by the authors on the effectiveness
of this educational intervention on increasing research capacity and
transfer of knowledge to practice.
Methods/Results: Using self-reflective and interactive
cooperative learning methods in small and large group format, on completion
of this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Identify and critically evaluate the components of a case report;
2. Understand the clinical applicability of case reports and their limitations;
3. Discuss how to design, conduct and write-up a case report from clinical
practice;
4. Participate in an actual research study.
Conclusions: Learning to design, conduct and
publish a case report or case series builds research capacity among
CAHC practitioners, contributing to better care for clients and increasing
professional status and recognition.
1. Kelner, M., Wellman, B., Boon, H., Welsh,
S. (2004). Responses of established health care to the professionalization
of complementary and alternative medicine in Ontario. Social Science
& Medicine, 59, 915-930.
2. Williams, J., Mulkins, A., Verhoef, M.J.,
Monkman D., & Findlay, B. (2002). Needs assessment: Research literacy
and capacity amongst complementary and alternative health care providers.
Perspectives on Natural Health Products Ð Natural Health Products Directorate,
Health Canada, 14.