On line Case Submissions: What are They and How to Submit

Thea Moran, MDAsst Professor

Louisiana State UniversityNew Orleans, Louisiana

Why do online case submissions

• Relatively easy, fast– If you can read and have computer support, you

can electronically submit• Anybody can submit cases: medical student,

resident, fellow or staff• Everybody wins

– ACGME credits academic effort to both participating staff and residents

– Medical students can place on CV– Patients like contributing

• Caters to a large audience• Long leash for all contributors

Case in Point (CiP)

• A section of the ACR website where members of the radiology community can submit interesting cases and readers can review the cases for CME credit.

• $200 honorarium per case

How to submit a case

• Find an interesting case

• Go to ACR CiP website and click on “Want to Submit a Case?”

• File in the blanks• CiP staff will email you

back whether idea was accepted or rejected (usually <1 mo)

• Case acceptance doesn’t necessarily = case posting

What to include in the write up

• Section/subsection• 2-3 “take home points”• History/pertinent data• 2 copies of each image• Findings• Questions• DDx• Discussion• References• Keywords

Miscellaneous info

• Case content should be in a Word document• Images must be in JPEG format• Once case is subjected to peer review, case is

CONSIDERED for posting• Can submit pictures of co-contributors• Payment processed once issued a “go live” date

– Donate to LSU Foundation vs self• Will need to fill out individual agreement forms,

W-9 Tax forms and Conflict of Interest form

Aunt Minnie Case of the Day (COTD)

• Section of the AuntMinnie.com radiology interest website

• COTD managed by Mark Frank, MD from Indiana University– Academic liason to

Aunt Minnie• Direct communication,

fast turnaround

How to submit

• Find an interesting case

• Directly email Dr. Frank at marfrank@iupui.edu with the case idea

• He’ll get back <1 wk at latest

What to include in the write up

• Case contributor and institution

• ACR Code• History, findings and

diagnosis• DDX• Pathologic correlation• Disease• Radiologic w/u and

typical findings• 3-4 pearls• References

Miscellaneous

• Write up should be in Microsoft Word

• Images need to be in JPEG (800x600 at largest)

• Attach write up and all images in 1 email

• Formatting preferences: http://education.auntminnie.com/auntminnie/qmachine.asp?UID=AMWU0001

Thea’s suggestions for case submissions

• Once you think you have found an interesting case, submit to CiP FIRST– Honorarium

• If not accepted by CiP, submit to COTD• Keep list of cases accepted to CiP and

COTD• LSUHSC requires signatures from

patients/representatives before releasing info for publication

Finding “co-contributors”

• Resident research day

• Resident’s fair

– LSU, Tulane each have fairs

• Radiology interest group

• Resident radiology rotations

• Word of mouth

Turning your co-contributors loose

• Start with COTD case first– Less of a “process”– Quicker turnaround– Gets feet wet

• Next, CiP– Process is more “involved”– Longer turnaround

Keeping your co-contributors on a “long leash”

• Excellent forum for medical students, residents and fellows to express themselves– Minimal supervision needed– Value received NOT proportionate to attending

involvement• Gives them a feeling of ownership and responsibility• Frees up your own time and energy while still

getting academic credit• Don’t confuse long leash with no leash

– Be available for questions– Check in with them at least once a week– Read what they write