Description
Case studies are a common method of conducting qualitative research, especially in clinical medicine and the health services. Crowe and colleagues (2011, p. 1) have described a case study as, “a research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context.” Case studies can be useful in a variety of biobehavioral health contexts, especially related to understanding patient perspectives and experiences, developing or refining patient-reported outcome measures, gaining insight into health beliefs and behaviors, examining perceptions of care, aiding in the understanding of the use and delivery of health services, and even guiding how new policies and guidelines are developed and implemented.
There is no one way to conduct a case study and in fact, researchers often use a variety of data collection methods, such as interviewing, observations, medical chart review, and more to complete a case study. In some instances, the study is a report of one case with unique features that make it noteworthy. In other instances, the case is chosen because it exemplifies features or characteristics common to the condition and can be instructive for others. Stake (1995) describes case studies as being intrinsic, instrumental or collective. Intrinsic cases explore unique phenomenon, whereas instrumental cases seek to gain a better general understanding of a condition or phenomenon. As the name implies, a collective case study includes more than one case related to the research question.
Some scholars (Alpi & Evans, 2019) make a distinction between a case study and a case report, suggesting that term ‘case study’ should be applied to full-scale qualitative research, such as the research by Dr. Mohammed in the Case Study Research video (viewed earlier in this lesson), and that the term ‘case report’ is more accurate for findings that summarize a specific patient’s condition, disease progression, treatment and prognosis. However, the terms are often used interchangeably and you are likely to find the term case study applied to both types of work. Ultimately, both case studies and case reports can provide valuable perspectives for professionals in biobehavioral health.
Examples: If you are interested, you may refer to the following examples of case report-style studies prior to starting the assignment. Confirmed viral meningitis with normal CSF findings (Links to an external site.), reported by Dawood and colleagues (2014) and this case of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Links to an external site.) described by McCartney and Marshall (2016).
This assignment consists of two parts and provides an opportunity to:
You are encouraged to choose a topic that is related to your final project topic.
The assignment begins with an introduction to the health condition based on current scientific knowledge and continues with your description of the condition in one individual, the “case.” You can create the details of case based on existing scholarly literature, one or more real people with the condition (maintain the anonymity of the person/s), cases of the condition that have been covered in the news media or films, or even some combination of these sources. The specific details of the case can be “made-up” but should still accurately reflect what is currently known about how the condition might develop in and be experienced by an individual. In addition, consider how the case report might be used to add to what is known about some aspect of the condition or patient experience or to highlight what is not well known. You may decide to write about a case that is primarily intrinsic, (a case that is unique or rare) or primarily instrumental a case that is generally informative and instructive about some aspect of the condition, patient, and/or treatment. Overall, remember to write the case with a focus on what can be learned from the case.
The writing style should be professional, as would be found in a published case report, and geared toward an audience of clinicians and/or researchers. Strive to be clear, precise, and accurate. Appropriate references to factual information are needed.
Although the specific format and content requirements for published case studies vary by journal, most include these typical sections: abstract, introduction, the case description, a discussion, references, and relevant figures or tables (Sun, 2013).
Your paper should include the following required sections: abstract, introduction, case description, discussion, and references. Tables/figures are optional.
This is a summary of the entire report that presents the highlights. It should be no longer than one (1) paragraph. Complete this section after the other sections of the paper are done.
This should be a brief literature review, a minimum of three (3) paragraphs in length, that addresses the following items listed for this section. This section requires at least three (3) references to scholarly sources, one of which must address treatment or intervention benefit.
This section should present all of the relevant details about the case, including the following items listed for this section. It should be a minimum of three (3) paragraphs in length. No scholarly citations are required but should be used if appropriate.
This section should summarize the case, highlight any questions it raised, include a discussion of important lessons learned from the case, and indicate how this case advances understanding of the condition and/or patient experience. This section should be a minimum of two (2) paragraphs in length and requires discussion of at least two (2) credible scholarly sources, as would be found in a published case study.
Place the reference list at the end of the complete assignment.
These are not required. If you choose to include them, be sure they are necessary to illustrate a specific point. Include a label and title for each figure and table.
When you finish the case report, add your Part 2: Reflection after the report. Then include your References section after the Part 2: Reflection.
Reflect on what you learned in this lesson and how it applies to your personal life and career aspirations. You do not need to write the reflection portion in a professional style, although the tone should still be appropriate for an academic assignment and you should include citations, as appropriate. Your reflection should be between 2 – 3 paragraphs and address the following questions:
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