Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Case Reports, Valuable at Every Level

Note from the Editor:

This issue of Convergent Points, Case Reports, Valuable at Every Level, offers three examples of case reports from private practice. Bum Kil (BK) Lee, a first-time author and doctoral student, shares his successful treatment of menorrhagia and gives particular insight into the etiology of such cases. Dr. Catherine Vasco, who has been in practice for several years, describes the resolution of alopecia using a combination of acupuncture and herbs. Lastly, Drs. Christina Jackson and Jacqueline Bailey, who have over a quarter-century of experience each, share their findings from careful analysis of three high-risk pregnancies. Each of these reports makes contributions of real benefit—to their own understanding, to their patients, and now, to us, their colleagues. 

The editorial board of Convergent Points is committed to building practice-based evidence and helping authors gain experience in writing case reports to the standards of the journal. To that end, Dr. David Riley, the originator of the CARE guidelines and one of our board members, is offering his CARE-writer courses at half-price to any author who submits a case report. In addition, after completing the two courses, an author may request to be mentored through a case report by one of our other rather amazingly accomplished board members.  

This kind of support and generosity is everywhere in our, and allied, professions. I recall being mentored through my first article by Jennifer Stone and Lynn Eder, who published Meridians, also called the Journal of the American Society of Acupuncturists, for years. This is an opportunity to thank them for their massive contributions to publication in our field. I also want to thank Dr. Ed Chiu for his ongoing work on case reports and recommend his book. 

Case reports have always been part of medicine. Now with standards such as the CARE guidelines, publishing, and educational support, they can help create an increasingly sturdy foundation of evidence to guide both practice and research. 

Kathleen Lumiere