CARE checklist for case reports: what it asks and how to meet it
The CARE guideline (CAse REport) is the EQUATOR-listed reporting guideline for clinical case reports. Its checklist covers 13 topics: title, keywords, abstract, introduction, patient information, clinical findings, timeline, diagnostic assessment, therapeutic intervention, follow-up and outcomes, discussion, patient perspective, and informed consent. Many journals ask you to upload a completed CARE checklist with page numbers at submission.
Below is a plain-language summary, a suggested structure, and how to handle the timeline, consent and de-identification. For the official checklist wording, translations and the explanation document, use care-statement.org.
What CARE asks you to report (summary, in our words)
| Topic | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Title | The words 'case report' appear in the title. The title names the main condition, intervention or observation of interest. |
| Keywords | A small set of keywords (CARE suggests two to five) includes 'case report'. |
| Abstract | States what is new or why the case matters. Summarises presenting concerns, key findings, diagnoses, interventions and outcomes. Ends with the main take-away lesson. |
| Introduction | Briefly explains why this case is worth reporting, with a few key references. |
| Patient information | De-identified demographics only (no names, initials, dates of birth, record numbers). Main concerns and symptoms in the patient's terms where possible. Relevant medical, family and psychosocial history, including past interventions and their results. |
| Clinical findings | Relevant physical examination findings are described. |
| Timeline | Key events are organised as a timeline (a table or figure helps), using relative time such as 'day 0, day 14' rather than calendar dates. |
| Diagnostic assessment | Tests and investigations are described. Diagnostic challenges (access, cost, cultural factors) are noted where relevant. The diagnostic reasoning, including differentials considered, is explained. Prognostic characteristics are stated where applicable. |
| Therapeutic intervention | Type of intervention (for example drug, surgical, lifestyle) is stated. Administration details: dose, strength, duration. Any changes to the intervention are reported with the reason. |
| Follow-up and outcomes | Clinician-assessed and, where available, patient-assessed outcomes. Important follow-up test results. Adherence to and tolerability of the intervention, and how it was assessed. Adverse and unanticipated events. |
| Discussion | Strengths and limitations of how this case was managed. The relevant medical literature is discussed. The rationale for the conclusions, including any causal reasoning, is made explicit. The main take-away lessons are stated. |
| Patient perspective | The patient's own perspective on their care is included where they wish to share it. |
| Informed consent | Written informed consent for publication was obtained (or the journal's alternative route documented), and you can provide it if asked. |
This is a paraphrase to help you plan, not the official checklist. Submit the official checklist from care-statement.org if your journal requires it.
A structure that maps onto CARE
Most journals use: Title, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Case presentation (patient information, clinical findings, timeline, diagnostic assessment, intervention, follow-up and outcomes), Discussion, Patient perspective, Conclusion or take-away lessons, and a consent statement. Check your target journal's instructions, which override this.
Building the timeline
- Use relative time (day 0 = presentation or diagnosis; then day 3, week 6, month 12) rather than calendar dates, which also helps de-identification.
- Include history before presentation where it matters, then each diagnostic, therapeutic and outcome event in order.
- A table or simple figure is easier to read than prose; the explanation and elaboration document (Riley et al. 2017) gives examples.
Consent and de-identification
- Consent: CARE expects you to state that informed consent was obtained from the patient (or, where they cannot consent, a legally authorised representative, under your institution's and journal's rules). Many journals require their own consent form and may ask to see it.
- Remove direct identifiers: names, initials, hospital or record numbers, exact dates, addresses, and identifiable images (crop or mask, and get specific consent for any image that could identify the patient).
- Watch indirect identifiers: a rare condition combined with location, occupation, exact age and dates can identify someone. Generalise where the clinical message does not depend on the detail (for example "in her 40s").
- ICMJE guidance says identifying details should not be changed or falsified to anonymise a patient; omit nonessential details instead, and note that consent may still be needed when anonymity is uncertain.
Free download: CARE pre-submission self-check
A plain-language self-check written in our own words: every CARE topic as yes/no questions with a page-number column, plus a timeline grid and a de-identification sweep. Use it alongside, not instead of, the official checklist.
Download the PDF Three A4 pages. No email needed.
Do this in Notion
The free PDF is enough to do the job on paper. If you would rather keep it in one place that updates as you work, the CARE Case Report Builder is a Notion template that tracks each CARE item against your draft, builds the timeline in relative days, and keeps consent and de-identification checks next to the manuscript.
It is a one-time purchase: Core $12, or Plus $19 with the AI pack. See exactly what is inside on the template page, or save by buying it with related templates in a bundle.
Sources
- Gagnier JJ, Kienle G, Altman DG, et al. The CARE guidelines: consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development. Journal of Medical Case Reports 2013;7:223. doi.org/10.1186/1752-1947-7-223
- Riley DS, Barber MS, Kienle GS, et al. CARE guidelines for case reports: explanation and elaboration document. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2017;89:218-235. doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.04.026
- CARE checklist and translations (official site). www.care-statement.org/
- ICMJE Recommendations: Protection of research participants (consent for publication). www.icmje.org/recommendations/
Frequently asked questions
What is the CARE checklist?
The CARE checklist is the reporting guideline for clinical case reports, developed by consensus (Gagnier et al. 2013) and listed by the EQUATOR Network. It covers 13 topics from title to informed consent.
Do journals require the CARE checklist?
Many journals that publish case reports ask authors to follow CARE and to submit a completed checklist with page numbers. Check your target journal's instructions.
Where can I download the official CARE checklist?
From care-statement.org, which hosts the checklist, translations and the explanation and elaboration document.
Do I need patient consent for a case report?
CARE asks authors to report that informed consent was obtained, and most journals require written consent for publication, often on their own form. Follow your journal's and institution's rules.
How do I de-identify a case report?
Remove names, initials, record numbers, exact dates and identifiable images; use relative time in the timeline; and generalise indirect identifiers such as exact age or location where the clinical point does not depend on them.