What Is the CARE Checklist?
Looking for the full method? Read the detailed guide: CARE Guidelines for Case Reports Explained.
The CARE checklist is a reporting guideline for clinical case reports. It lists the information a case report should include, from the title and abstract through the timeline, diagnostic assessment, treatment and outcomes, to patient perspective and consent.
Example
A case report following CARE includes a timeline of events, explains diagnostic reasoning and states that the patient gave informed consent for publication.
Common misunderstanding
CARE does not decide whether a case is worth publishing or whether the diagnosis is correct. It improves completeness. Use the official checklist from the CARE website and cite the original paper.
Learn more
See CARE Guidelines for Case Reports Explained.
References and further reading
- Gagnier JJ, Kienle G, Altman DG, et al. The CARE guidelines: consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014;67(1):46-51. doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2013.08.003
- CARE case report guidelines website. Link
Related reading
This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.