A changing of the guard, continuity of purpose: the enduring importance of case reports at the Journal of Medical Case Reports.

Abstract

As I take on the role of Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Medical Case Reports (JMCR), I do so with gratitude and with no wish to reinvent a journal whose founding purpose remains sound: publishing peer-reviewed case reports that add clinically meaningful knowledge while protecting the people whose experiences make those reports possible. In this editorial, I look back at JMCR's origins under Michael Kidd and place the former Cases Journal and CasesDatabase initiatives in their historical context. I also reaffirm the journal's commitments to written consent for publication, CARE-compliant reporting, scientific rigor, clinical education, and accountable human editorial judgment. The current Springer Nature/BMC environment offers new ways to extend the educational life of published reports through the updated website, selected Cases of the Month, Springer Nature Research Communities, JMCR Clinical Minute, JMCR: Clinical Reasoning From Case Reports, Correspondence, and responsible social dissemination. Programs already active are distinguished from those still being developed or planned. The principle is straightforward: new formats should serve the carefully reviewed case report, never displace it.