Journal Title:  Journal of Pharmacy Teaching | Vol:  13 | Issue:  1 | Year:  2006   
Print ISSN:  1044-0054 | Online ISSN:     

Clinical Practitioners' Attitudes Concerning the Value of Peer-Reviewed Clinical Case Reports: An Opinion Survey

Roy C. Parish Pharm.D.
Michael B. Cockerham M.S. and Pharm.D. and B.C.O.P.
Sandra Blake Ph.D.

pages: 49 - 61
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Abstract:

Development and advancement of academic clinical faculty is vital to maintaining excellence in pharmacy teaching; promotions and tenure (or promotion in the case of non-tenure-track faculty) is an essential part of this development. In most schools, promotion and tenure committees generally weigh the peer-reviewed case report as having little significance for scholarship. We undertook an opinion survey of clinical pharmacists to determine whether these reports affect patient care and whether end-users ascribe to them the properties generally accorded scholarly work. Five hundred practitioners were surveyed by mail with questions regarding their practice and their opinions and use of case reports. These pharmacists generally indicated that, although research reports are superior to case reports in routine clinical situations, case reports indeed contribute useful new knowledge to the profession, and they appear to have high expectations for the intellectual integrity of these publications. Most of the responders seek case reports as part of their regular reading and turn to case reports for information when confronted with unusual clinical problems. Responders indicated that case reports are relevant to practice, contain unique material, should contain a scholarly evaluation of previously published work, require scholarly ability to prepare correctly, and impact patient care. We conclude that peer-reviewed case reports with literature review should be considered serious scholarship when authors are evaluated for their scholarly activities.