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Review
Case reports and case series in prehospital emergency care research
  1. P Daniel Patterson1,
  2. Matthew Weaver2,
  3. Sunday Clark3,
  4. Donald M Yealy1
  1. 1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Emergency Medicine of Western PA Inc, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  2. 2Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  3. 3Center for Research on Health Care (CRHC) Data Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Daniel Patterson, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Emergency Medicine of Western PA Inc, 3600 Forbes Avenue, Iroquois Bldg, Suite 400A, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; pattersond{at}upmc.edu

Abstract

Research begins with a clearly stated question, problem or hypothesis. The selection of a study design appropriate to the task is the next key step. This paper provides guidance for the use of case report and case series designs by describing the ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ of both designs. Also described is the use of case reports and case series study designs in prehospital emergency research and the quality of published literature from 2000 to mid-2008.

  • Case report
  • case series
  • education
  • emergency medical services
  • epidemiology
  • nursing
  • prehospital care
  • research
  • study design
  • wounds

https://doi.org/10.1136/emj.2009.073668

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.