Bridging Clinical Practice and Research through Case Reports: Perspectives from the Millennial Generation

Abstract

The CARE (CAse REport) guidelines define a case report as a detailed narrative that describes, for medical, scientific, or educational purposes, a medical concern experienced by one or several patients. The thalidomide scandal, which was uncovered through a case report, led to significant changes in medical practice worldwide and highlights the importance of case reports in drawing attention to new clinical trials encountered in routine clinical practice. It is important to discuss the approach to case reports in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion research. In this panel discussion, Shinohara, Yonekura, Ibata, and Kayo discussed the significance of case reports; this form of research design is useful to refresh knowledge regarding various aspects of daily clinical practice, as well as to obtain research data with a high level of evidence and for interprofessional collaboration. Moderator Ishiyama also presented the results of an opinion survey on case reporting, which was performed prior to the panel discussion. The results revealed that despite many members' interest in case reporting, there remain barriers to its implementation, including lack of knowledge regarding case report methodology and lack of mentors. Addressing these issues may lead to the development of acupuncture and moxibustion research.