A case study report is an article that describes a particular patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan. Most of the cases chosen for published medical case studies are of unusual diagnoses, or include complications in treatment. A case study report is written in a specific format and can be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.
Clinicians do not usually need HREC approval for writing and publishing a Case Report. However, clinician-researchers are encouraged to determine the requirements of specific journals early as some journals require HREC review and approval.
Staff are required to also seek approval from the Head of Unit / Clinic / Department.
Clinicians should also obtain patient consent, unless otherwise exempt. The Medical Journal of Australia provides a template Consent Form you could use.
Journals Requiring evidence of review
Some journals do require evidence of review if there are more than a minimal number of cases, e.g., 3 cases.
Eye and Ear staff can submit Case Reports using the Quality Assurance Project Application Form to the Research Office for review at ethics@eyeandear.org.au and a letter of organisational endorsement may be issued.
The Eye and Ear letter of endorsement is for use of Eye and Ear patient health information. If you are proposing to use health information of patients at other organisations, then you will also need to seek organisational authorisation from each organisation according to their requirements.
How to apply to the Eye and Ear Research Office for a case report review
Applications are submitted via email to the Research Office.
What documents need to be submitted?
Below is a list of the documents required for submission. Minimum standards apply to all applications:
- Applications must be complete; incomplete applications will be returned to the researcher
- Handwritten applications will not be accepted
| Core Documents | Project Dependent Additional Documents |
| Quality Assurance Application Form | Consent Form |
The Forms Library can be found here.
Submission Dates
Case Study applications can be submitted to the Research Office at any time. Submit your application via email to the Research Office. When completing the Quality Assurance Applictaion Form, select Case Report in Section A.1.
Applications will be reviewed by the Research Manager and the HREC Chair. An initial response will be given within 10 working days from the date of submission. A letter of endorsement from the Eye and Ear Research Office will be provided.
