Description
Section 1: What is going on?
– The most important findings (what examinations, abbreviations and test results indicate/suggest – e.g., normal, high, low, indicative of disease etc.)
-Extract salient(=most important) information from the case and combine it (e.g. this symptom may be related to X found in the case report etc.) to come up with the most likely DIAGNOSIS
Section 2: Why do you think this and why is the diagnoses not likely to be something else?
– WHY? you think the diagnosis you have decided on is the most likely diagnosis and why other causes/diagnoses/pathways/mechanisms are less likely.
– Explain mechanisms using the bio psychosocial model – that you will have used in the practice cases and lectures – to discuss different mental health experiences and their theoretical background
Section 3: How should this proceed?
– Discuss HOW? this should be treated, WHAT? are the best treatments, WHAT? the patient’s prognosis is likely to be and HOW? other features of interest require further examination/treatment.
You can include other references as well (research papers etc), but these additional references have to be added at the end, using the links only (without footnotes)
For this case you use Problem Based or Oriented Learning:
1. Make a note of terms and abbreviations you do not know e.g., HVLT, AUDIT.
2. Write down the symptoms, questionnaires, and examinations.
3. Brainstorm what you think is going on.
4. Order the information.
5. Make hypothesis i.e., very specific questions you can answer with a yes or a no
6. Look these questions up in online scientific literature (PubMed, google scholar or other evidence-based websites, NHS and helpline are usually also peer reviewed)
7. Answer the questions and try to solve the case, what could be going on, what is the most likely diagnoses, what is the mechanism, what else could it be, why is that less likely, what is the treatment and what is the prognosis.
