6. PATIENT INFORMED CONSENT AND PATIENT PRIVACY.
Authors must have written informed consent from any patient/clients described in case study material The authors must take steps to protect the identity of patients reported in case reports and elsewhere. Identifying information (e.g., names, initials, hospitals, dates) must be avoided or changed. Note that authors must both protect the integrity of the case study information such that crucial details for interpretation are retained, and protect patient privacy such that non-crucial details that could violate the privacy of the patient are changed. Authors who wish guidelines for protection of patient anonymity are referred to “Statements from the Vancouver Group, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors” in British Medical Journal 1991; 302: 1194. Authors submitting case study material will be required to complete this checklist. Within the case report itself there should be a statement that the patient/client has given informed written consent for the publication and that the identity of the patient/client has been disguised by omission and alteration of non-crucial information.
INSTRUCTIONS
For all submissions with case material we require this form be completed, signed, and returned prior to peer review. Additional information about the requirements for submission are available.. The corresponding author must print this page out, complete it, sign it, scan it, and then submit it with the manuscript. As you go through the manuscript submission process with ScholarOne, you will be required to upload this form during step 6 (entitled “file upload”).
Acknowledgements: These guidelines were revised and expanded from a checklist of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session with permission.
Client/patient informed consent and confidentiality is a professional and ethical imperative, JTD requires that patients give informed consent to have their cases written about, and that client identity be thoroughly disguised in published articles. Note at the same time that case presentations must have epistemological integrity—they should not be fictionalized but rather identity should be disguised while retaining informational fidelity of essential case information. Due to our value on authenticity and veracity of crucial case information, composite case studies are not published.
Please follow these general guidelines when disguising cases.
- Identify clients by fictitious names only. The fictitious name selected should be completely distinct from the patient’s real name (e.g., don’t make a “William” into a “Bill” or retain initials). In addition, it would be respectful of the agency and dignity of clients to give each client a fictitious last name rather than only a first name. This can be done at first mention (e.g. “Sam Jones suffered from…”). After that either a first name, last name, full name, or last name with title (e.g. “Mr. Jones”) can be used.
Change basic facts, such as age, occupation, geographic location, city size, and the like so long as these facts are not crucial to case interpretation.
- Wherever possible, alter details regarding the client’s family composition (e.g., a divorce can become a separation, a deceased family member can be made alive), as long as these facts are not crucial to case interpretation. .
- Change gender and race/ethnicity in cases where these factors did not play an important role in the case or course of treatment.
- Avoid specifics (e.g., rather than giving exact dates, give the season and change the year).
- Do not make mechanical or easily traced changes (e.g., don’t change North Carolina to South Carolina)
- If the disguising is done correctly the patient/client should be able to recognize self, but others should not. If the client’s life experiences are unique, and so critical to the presenting problem and/or treatment as to prevent the case from being adequately disguised, then the author should obtain a separate signed publication release from the client. That separate release should be founded on the client having actually read the case presentation and agreeing with the manner in which their identity is presented and confirming that the case description is adequately truthful.
1) Please indicate by checking below those elements of the case that have been altered. This checklist is not exhaustive; in preparing the case illustration; please alter as many details as possible without changing information crucial to case interpretation or otherwise undermining the integrity of the case presentation.
______Client’ name (must be changed)
______Client’s ethnicity/race
______Client’s marital status
______Client’s age
______Client’s family composition
______Client’s gender
______Client’s geographic location
______Client’s educational level
______Client’s occupation/employment
______Other case details (explain)
2) Have you elected to retain information that could compromise patient privacy? ______
If yes, do you have signed informed consent from the patient for this that is based on the client/patient having read the case presentation?
Please explain:
3) To the best of your knowledge and judgment, do you believe you have sufficiently protected the patient’s privacy by altering details, while retaining the integrity of your cases study (crucial information for interpretation retained? ______If the disguising is done correctly the patient/client should be able to recognize self, but others should not.
If no, please explain:
4) Please describe your method of obtaining informed consent from the patient/client:______
5) Within the case report is there a statement that the patient/client has given informed written consent for the publication and that the identity of the patient/client has been disguised by omission and alteration of non-crucial information?______
If no, explain.
Title of Submission:______
Corresponding Author’s Name (please print):______
Corresponding Author’s Signature:______
Date:______
INSTRUCTIONS
For all submissions with case material we require this form be completed, signed, and returned prior to peer review. Additional information about the requirements for submission are available. The corresponding author must print this page out, complete it, sign it, scan it, and then submit it with the manuscript. As you go through the manuscript submission process with ScholarOne, you will be required to upload this form during step 6 (entitled “file upload”).
Instructions for research with human participants (other than case presentations).