Aim & Scope
The Journal of Clinical Case Studies & Family Medicine is dedicated to advancing clinical education and reflective practice through the publication of detailed case reports, case series, and applied clinical narratives from the field of family medicine. The journal aims to serve as a forum for primary care professionals, general practitioners, and academic clinicians to share insights derived from real patient encounters. Its purpose is to document the diagnostic processes, therapeutic decisions, and ongoing management strategies that define generalist medicine in diverse healthcare settings.
The journal values the role of narrative-based learning and recognises that clinical acumen is often shaped not only by evidence-based guidelines but also by direct patient care. It seeks to highlight the day-to-day complexity of managing undifferentiated symptoms, multiple comorbidities, psychosocial influences, and system-level barriers to care. By publishing practical, accessible, and rigorously structured case-based content, the journal contributes to improved decision-making and professional development in the clinical community.
This publication welcomes global perspectives, with a focus on learning from individual patients, context-specific adaptations, and the challenges encountered in both high-resource and resource-constrained settings. It aims to encourage academic reporting from all levels of clinical experience, including trainees, educators, and frontline providers.
Scope
The journal’s scope covers the full spectrum of generalist clinical medicine as it is practiced in family clinics, rural health centres, urban practices, academic departments, and community-based healthcare networks. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts that illustrate the diagnostic, therapeutic, and relational aspects of patient care across the lifespan.
The journal publishes original content in the following categories:
1. Case Reports
Single-patient case reports are central to the journal. These may document rare conditions, unusual presentations of common illnesses, diagnostic delays, complex management scenarios, or ethical challenges. Case reports should follow a structured format that includes patient presentation, history, investigations, differential diagnosis, treatment plan, outcome, and discussion.
Topics of interest include:
- Rare diseases or syndromes first recognised in primary care
- Unexpected drug reactions or treatment complications
- Multisystem illness presenting in early or unclear stages
- Diagnostic shifts based on longitudinal observation
- Cases requiring multidisciplinary or coordinated management
- Conditions encountered in culturally or linguistically diverse populations
Authors must ensure that reports are anonymised and that consent has been obtained when applicable.
2. Case Series
Submissions may describe two or more cases that reflect a clinical pattern, variation in presentation, or thematic concern. Case series may be drawn from clinical audit, departmental review, or practitioner records. Each case should be described clearly, and similarities or differences among them should be discussed.
Suitable topics include:
- Series of infectious disease cases observed in a defined community
- Variability in symptom expression for a common chronic disease
- Repeated presentations with diagnostic ambiguity
- Thematic grouping of cases involving psychosocial complexity or polypharmacy
- Cases that demonstrate the learning curve for a new intervention
Case series should also include implications for generalist practice or education.
3. Clinical Reflections and Educational Narratives
Articles in this category may be personal accounts or structured reflections related to a case, consultation style, communication issue, or family dynamic that had educational or professional significance. These manuscripts may also explore the relational aspects of long-term care, shared decision-making, or the influence of systemic pressures on clinical judgment.
Examples include:
- Reflections on misdiagnosis and lessons learned
- Navigating the uncertainty of atypical presentations
- Cross-cultural communication challenges in consultation
- Interactions with caregivers or families during end-of-life care
- Cases prompting personal or ethical introspection in the physician
Submissions should remain scholarly in tone and contain learning objectives or commentary that may be of use to peers.
4. Applied Reviews and Practical Summaries
Brief narrative reviews that summarise key learning points from recent literature, guidelines, or clinical developments in relation to primary care are welcomed. These articles should be focused, practice-oriented, and preferably anchored to a case or local context.
Topics include:
- Management updates for hypertension, diabetes, or asthma in family medicine
- New vaccine guidelines and their application in community clinics
- Brief reviews of common dermatological conditions in primary care
- Primary care screening and preventive health protocols
- Medication deprescribing strategies for elderly patients
These summaries are intended to support continuous learning and should avoid overlap with formal guideline documents.
5. Teaching Tools and Training Reflections
Submissions may include tools, techniques, or educational formats used in family medicine teaching. These may be drawn from residency training, medical education, or continuing professional development.
Possible content includes:
- Case-based teaching frameworks
- Templates for reflective case documentation
- Feedback systems for clinical rotations
- Use of patient cases in simulation or small-group discussion
- Lessons from interprofessional case conferences
Such articles must describe outcomes, evaluations, or observed impact when possible.
6. Opinion and Commentary Based on Case Experience
Clinically informed commentaries are accepted when they reflect grounded insights. These submissions should focus on broader issues in patient care, system design, health policy, or professional practice, as illustrated by case experience.
Suitable topics include:
- Comment on continuity of care across systems
- Reflections on electronic health records in the context of family medicine
- Observations on healthcare access and disparities
- Policy implications of patient-level observations in underserved areas
- Suggestions for improving team-based care delivery models
All commentary must maintain a respectful tone and be evidence-informed.
The Journal of Clinical Case Studies & Family Medicine accepts submissions from practitioners around the world. Authors are encouraged to submit content that reflects the realities of generalist care in their specific clinical, cultural, or institutional context. The journal supports inclusive authorship and values contributions from trainees, rural providers, and clinicians working outside academic centres.
All manuscripts must be original, clearly written, and presented by the journal’s submission guidelines. All references cited in the text must be listed at the end of the manuscript. The journal accepts citations in APA style. Authors must ensure accuracy and consistency in referencing.
By promoting structured case-based reporting, applied clinical reflection, and real-world problem solving, the Journal of Clinical Case Studies & Family Medicine contributes to the ongoing learning of primary care professionals and enhances the shared understanding of frontline medical practice.
