Quality of Case Reports and Adherence to the CARE (CAse REport) Guidelines: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Abolfazl  Taheri; Peyman Adibi; Marzieh  Saeedizadeh; Seyed Mojtaba  Sabagh -Jafari; Alireza Rahimi; Alireza Abbasi

doi:10.18502/jabs.v14i2.15754

Abolfazl Taheri Health Information Technology Research Canter, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Peyman Adibi Gastroenterology and hepatology research center, Isfahan University of medical sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Marzieh Saeedizadeh Health Information Technology Research Canter, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Seyed Mojtaba Sabagh -Jafari Department of Computer Engineering, Vali -e- Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Kerman, Iran
Alireza Rahimi Head of Clinical Informationist Research Group, Health Information Technology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Alireza Abbasi School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jabs.v14i2.15754

Keywords: Guideline as Topic, Scoping review, Adherence, Case reports, CARE

Abstract

Background & Objectives: The use of reporting guidelines aims to enhance the completeness and transparency of biomedical publications. The CARE guideline was developed in 2013 to assist researchers in improving the reporting of their case reports. In this study, drawing on evidence from studies that have evaluated the reporting quality of case reports based on the CARE guideline, we aim to conduct a scoping review focusing on the state -of-the -art adherence to the CARE guidelines in case reports and identifying factors associated with adherence to this guideline.

Materials & Methods: The protocol for this scoping review follows the Arksey and O ’Malley framework. We searched for meta -research studies indexed in four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) from 2013 to 2023, for studies primarily aimed at evaluating the reporting quality of case reports based on the CARE guidelines. Study selection was performed in duplicate. This study report followed the PRISMA -ScR.

Results: Our database searches retrieved 35 studies, of which 14 were included for full -text analysis. The publication rate has increased sharply in recent years; seven articles (50%) were published in 2020 and 2021. Further analysis is in progress and scheduled for completion by July 2024.

Conclusion : By conducting this scoping review, we attempted to gain a comprehensive and in -depth understanding of the quality of case reports based on the CARE guideline, identify gaps, and provide recommendations for the more efficient and meaningful use of the CARE reporting guideline in the future.