Four types: single holistic, single embedded, multiple holistic, multiple embedded
The post-positive paradigm postulates there is one reality that can be objectively described and understood by “bracketing” oneself from the research to remove prejudice or bias. 27 Yin focuses on general explanation and prediction, emphasizing the formulation of propositions, akin to hypothesis testing. This approach is best suited for structured and objective data collection 9 , 11 and is often used for mixed-method studies.
Constructivism assumes that the phenomenon of interest is constructed and influenced by local contexts, including the interaction between researchers, individuals, and their environment. 27 It acknowledges multiple interpretations of reality 24 constructed within the context by the researcher and participants which are unlikely to be replicated, should either change. 5 , 20 Stake and Merriam’s constructivist approaches emphasize a story-like rendering of a problem and an iterative process of constructing the case study. 7 This stance values researcher reflexivity and transparency, 28 acknowledging how researchers’ experiences and disciplinary lenses influence their assumptions and beliefs about the nature of the phenomenon and development of the findings.
A key tenet of case study methodology often underemphasized in literature is the importance of defining the case and phenomenon. Researches should clearly describe the case with sufficient detail to allow readers to fully understand the setting and context and determine applicability. Trying to answer a question that is too broad often leads to an unclear definition of the case and phenomenon. 20 Cases should therefore be bound by time and place to ensure rigor and feasibility. 6
Yin 22 defines a case as “a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context,” (p13) which may contain a single unit of analysis, including individuals, programs, corporations, or clinics 29 (holistic), or be broken into sub-units of analysis, such as projects, meetings, roles, or locations within the case (embedded). 30 Merriam 24 and Stake 5 similarly define a case as a single unit studied within a bounded system. Stake 5 , 23 suggests bounding cases by contexts and experiences where the phenomenon of interest can be a program, process, or experience. However, the line between the case and phenomenon can become muddy. For guidance, Stake 5 , 23 describes the case as the noun or entity and the phenomenon of interest as the verb, functioning, or activity of the case.
Yin’s approach to a case study is rooted in a formal proposition or theory which guides the case and is used to test the outcome. 1 Stake 5 advocates for a flexible design and explicitly states that data collection and analysis may commence at any point. Merriam’s 24 approach blends both Yin and Stake’s, allowing the necessary flexibility in data collection and analysis to meet the needs.
Yin 30 proposed three types of case study approaches—descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory. Each can be designed around single or multiple cases, creating six basic case study methodologies. Descriptive studies provide a rich description of the phenomenon within its context, which can be helpful in developing theories. To test a theory or determine cause and effect relationships, researchers can use an explanatory design. An exploratory model is typically used in the pilot-test phase to develop propositions (eg, Sibbald et al. 31 used this approach to explore interprofessional network complexity). Despite having distinct characteristics, the boundaries between case study types are flexible with significant overlap. 30 Each has five key components: (1) research question; (2) proposition; (3) unit of analysis; (4) logical linking that connects the theory with proposition; and (5) criteria for analyzing findings.
Contrary to Yin, Stake 5 believes the research process cannot be planned in its entirety because research evolves as it is performed. Consequently, researchers can adjust the design of their methods even after data collection has begun. Stake 5 classifies case studies into three categories: intrinsic, instrumental, and collective/multiple. Intrinsic case studies focus on gaining a better understanding of the case. These are often undertaken when the researcher has an interest in a specific case. Instrumental case study is used when the case itself is not of the utmost importance, and the issue or phenomenon (ie, the research question) being explored becomes the focus instead (eg, Paciocco 32 used an instrumental case study to evaluate the implementation of a chronic disease management program). 5 Collective designs are rooted in an instrumental case study and include multiple cases to gain an in-depth understanding of the complexity and particularity of a phenomenon across diverse contexts. 5 , 23 In collective designs, studying similarities and differences between the cases allows the phenomenon to be understood more intimately (for examples of this in the field, see van Zelm et al. 33 and Burrows et al. 34 In addition, Sibbald et al. 35 present an example where a cross-case analysis method is used to compare instrumental cases).
Merriam’s approach is flexible (similar to Stake) as well as stepwise and linear (similar to Yin). She advocates for conducting a literature review before designing the study to better understand the theoretical underpinnings. 24 , 25 Unlike Stake or Yin, Merriam proposes a step-by-step guide for researchers to design a case study. These steps include performing a literature review, creating a theoretical framework, identifying the problem, creating and refining the research question(s), and selecting a study sample that fits the question(s). 24 , 25 , 36
Using multiple data collection methods is a key characteristic of all case study methodology; it enhances the credibility of the findings by allowing different facets and views of the phenomenon to be explored. 23 Common methods include interviews, focus groups, observation, and document analysis. 5 , 37 By seeking patterns within and across data sources, a thick description of the case can be generated to support a greater understanding and interpretation of the whole phenomenon. 5 , 17 , 20 , 23 This technique is called triangulation and is used to explore cases with greater accuracy. 5 Although Stake 5 maintains case study is most often used in qualitative research, Yin 17 supports a mix of both quantitative and qualitative methods to triangulate data. This deliberate convergence of data sources (or mixed methods) allows researchers to find greater depth in their analysis and develop converging lines of inquiry. For example, case studies evaluating interventions commonly use qualitative interviews to describe the implementation process, barriers, and facilitators paired with a quantitative survey of comparative outcomes and effectiveness. 33 , 38 , 39
Yin 30 describes analysis as dependent on the chosen approach, whether it be (1) deductive and rely on theoretical propositions; (2) inductive and analyze data from the “ground up”; (3) organized to create a case description; or (4) used to examine plausible rival explanations. According to Yin’s 40 approach to descriptive case studies, carefully considering theory development is an important part of study design. “Theory” refers to field-relevant propositions, commonly agreed upon assumptions, or fully developed theories. 40 Stake 5 advocates for using the researcher’s intuition and impression to guide analysis through a categorical aggregation and direct interpretation. Merriam 24 uses six different methods to guide the “process of making meaning” (p178) : (1) ethnographic analysis; (2) narrative analysis; (3) phenomenological analysis; (4) constant comparative method; (5) content analysis; and (6) analytic induction.
Drawing upon a theoretical or conceptual framework to inform analysis improves the quality of case study and avoids the risk of description without meaning. 18 Using Stake’s 5 approach, researchers rely on protocols and previous knowledge to help make sense of new ideas; theory can guide the research and assist researchers in understanding how new information fits into existing knowledge.
Columbia University has recently demonstrated how case studies can help train future health leaders. 41 Case studies encompass components of systems thinking—considering connections and interactions between components of a system, alongside the implications and consequences of those relationships—to equip health leaders with tools to tackle global health issues. 41 Greenwood 42 evaluated Indigenous peoples’ relationship with the healthcare system in British Columbia and used a case study to challenge and educate health leaders across the country to enhance culturally sensitive health service environments.
An important but often omitted step in case study research is an assessment of quality and rigour. We recommend using a framework or set of criteria to assess the rigour of the qualitative research. Suitable resources include Caelli et al., 43 Houghten et al., 44 Ravenek and Rudman, 45 and Tracy. 46
Although “pragmatic” case studies (ie, utilizing practical and applicable methods) have existed within psychotherapy for some time, 47 , 48 only recently has the applicability of pragmatism as an underlying paradigmatic perspective been considered in HSR. 49 This is marked by uptake of pragmatism in Randomized Control Trials, recognizing that “gold standard” testing conditions do not reflect the reality of clinical settings 50 , 51 nor do a handful of epistemologically guided methodologies suit every research inquiry.
Pragmatism positions the research question as the basis for methodological choices, rather than a theory or epistemology, allowing researchers to pursue the most practical approach to understanding a problem or discovering an actionable solution. 52 Mixed methods are commonly used to create a deeper understanding of the case through converging qualitative and quantitative data. 52 Pragmatic case study is suited to HSR because its flexibility throughout the research process accommodates complexity, ever-changing systems, and disruptions to research plans. 49 , 50 Much like case study, pragmatism has been criticized for its flexibility and use when other approaches are seemingly ill-fit. 53 , 54 Similarly, authors argue that this results from a lack of investigation and proper application rather than a reflection of validity, legitimizing the need for more exploration and conversation among researchers and practitioners. 55
Although occasionally misunderstood as a less rigourous research methodology, 8 case study research is highly flexible and allows for contextual nuances. 5 , 6 Its use is valuable when the researcher desires a thorough understanding of a phenomenon or case bound by context. 11 If needed, multiple similar cases can be studied simultaneously, or one case within another. 16 , 17 There are currently three main approaches to case study, 5 , 17 , 24 each with their own definitions of a case, ontological and epistemological paradigms, methodologies, and data collection and analysis procedures. 37
Individuals’ experiences within health systems are influenced heavily by contextual factors, participant experience, and intricate relationships between different organizations and actors. 55 Case study research is well suited for HSR because it can track and examine these complex relationships and systems as they evolve over time. 6 , 7 It is important that researchers and health leaders using this methodology understand its key tenets and how to conduct a proper case study. Although there are many examples of case study in action, they are often under-reported and, when reported, not rigorously conducted. 9 Thus, decision-makers and health leaders should use these examples with caution. The proper reporting of case studies is necessary to bolster their credibility in HSR literature and provide readers sufficient information to critically assess the methodology. We also call on health leaders who frequently use case studies 56 – 58 to report them in the primary research literature.
The purpose of this article is to advocate for the continued and advanced use of case study in HSR and to provide literature-based guidance for decision-makers, policy-makers, and health leaders on how to engage in, read, and interpret findings from case study research. As health systems progress and evolve, the application of case study research will continue to increase as researchers and health leaders aim to capture the inherent complexities, nuances, and contextual factors. 7
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It would be great if we could wave a magic wand to convince prospects to buy your product or service… But we can’t. So, a case study is your next best option.
They’re a powerful sales and marketing tool for those prospects that are sitting on the fence. The problem is, they’re often dry, bland, and anything but magical. Never fear, though, as we’ve done some in-depth case study analysis.
We’re here to show you how to write a case study that will convince customers to choose you over your competitors. To create something so compelling they’ll have no doubt about your ability to deliver results.
Whether this is your first or 100th stab at it, we’ve got you covered with tips and best practices, real-world examples, and ideas for how to format a case study.
In this post, we’ll look at:
Essential prep for creating a case study.
🔍 Are you looking for some case study examples? This compilation of case study data and leadership input from just a few RingCentral SMB customers will show you exactly how they have modernized their business communication processes.
A case study is basically a document— or it can be a video—that outlines how a customer used your product to overcome a problem. It’s real-world proof that your product works and gets results.
If your product or service has helped customers get great results, a case study will help you showcase those results to your future customers. They’re an excellent way to attract more business, and can mean the difference between a lost opportunity and a really good end-of-quarter.
Case studies present a living, breathing witness to how effective your product or service is. In other words, they represent the ultimate in social proof. While customer reviews can also be valuable in influencing a potential client’s decision to buy from your company, they don’t pack the punch that case studies do.
That’s because with case studies, you can curate a story that highlights how well your product or service solved a real-life problem, and back it up with solid data. It demonstrates the value of your offering, while showing off your hard work in achieving success for a customer.
Because you’re using real-world examples, rather than abstract concepts of what your product or service represents, case studies are fully relatable to potential new customers.
They can put themselves in the shoes of the subject and empathize with their pain points—and realize that there’s a way to get similar results for themselves.
Whereas a landing page or product page can be purely self-promotional, a case study comes across as more authentic and unbiased. Instead of you saying how awesome your product is, the subject is saying it, and that counts for a lot.
If they’ve switched to you from a competitor, that’s even better as it positions your product as superior without you having to spell it out.
Case studies also demonstrate your ability to solve problems for your customers, positioning you as experts in your industry and building trust. The more case studies you have, the more established you’ll look. As in: “Wow, they have so many happy clients—they must be doing something right!”
A narrative that’s engaging to read will get people interested in your company and inspire them to take a look around your website. And case studies give readers variety alongside other content formats such as product pages and blogs. They’re also an extra opportunity to add a CTA and nudge readers toward taking an action.
Case studies are versatile. You can publish and promote them in various places alongside your website—give a taster in social media posts with a link to the full article, add the video to your YouTube channel, share the stories in sales presentations. You can also extract elements like quotes from featured customers and repurpose them in other content, such as infographics.
In most cases it’s best to have case studies easily available on your website, not as downloadable gated content, but you do have this option for lead generation. You could write a blog post with a short version of the story, and offer the full version to readers in return for giving you their contact details.
When you ask an existing customer to be the subject of a case study, it not only makes them feel special but it also reminds them of the benefits of your solution—which helps to reaffirm their loyalty. Plus, they’re getting extra brand exposure and a backlink to their own website, which boosts both their traffic and their authority online.
In fact, there’s nothing to stop you reaching out to former customers who achieved good results with you before moving on (it happens). You never know, a reminder of you might even bring them back!
First, it’s helpful to highlight what makes a lot of case studies bad: most are painfully boring. What they have is research and detail, but what they lack is a cohesive, consumable story.
They list numbers and contain data, but the reader isn’t sure what it all means or why it’s relevant to their problem. They end up existing as technical documents that do little to persuade or excite anyone. That’s unfortunate because they have the potential to be a powerful sales tool that can help you close big deals in the decision-making phase.
So how do you write a case study that’s actually effective, then? Here are three characteristics every good case study should have:
There’s no hard and fast rule on how long a case study should be. But it’s always a good idea to ask “how short can we make it?”
A good case study avoids the unnecessary minutiae, knows what it’s trying to say, and communicates it quickly and without ambiguity. With a few exceptions, effective case studies are concise and clear.
On the other side of the length equation, being thorough is also important. Case study writing is all about making impressive claims about how a product helped someone achieve a certain result. However, it also needs to explain how it happened.
Good case studies include key details that show how the customer got from A to B using the product—something you don’t get with customer reviews . Don’t make your reader work too hard to visualize the story. If you can use images and videos, use them.
Yes, case studies are sales tools. But the ones really worth reading tell a compelling story with a beginning, middle, and end. They beg to be read all the way through. Often, they present a problem that creates tension and demands a solution. And remember, in this story, the customer is the hero—not you.
Caveat: There is no one-size-fits-all approach for what to include in a case study. But, in general, there is a recognized case study format with certain sections you should feature to make it clearer and more impactful. This format typically includes:
There isn’t a definitive answer to this question, as the length of a case study can vary depending on factors such as the size of the project you’re talking about. It also depends on the type of case study—for example, if it’s in the form of a video then a couple of minutes is enough. (We’ll explore the different types a little later on in this post.)
Balance is the key here. You’ll need to to include enough information to convey the story properly and hook the reader in, but not so much that they get overwhelmed or the message of the story gets lost amid the detail. The last thing you want them to think is “TL;DR”.
It’s about being concise, and not allowing yourself to get carried away with the story. Only include what needs to be included, so that readers can clearly understand the subject’s pain point, the reason your solution was a good fit, and the success it achieved.
Remember that not every part of the case study has to be in narrative form. You can pull out stats and display them as graphics, highlight direct quotes or other key information, or add a photo of the subject. If your case study is on the longer side, break up the text with subheadings, bullet points, and white space.
Before you start actually writing, there’s a bit of prep work you’ll need to do to make sure your case study is amazing.
You may have many customers who’ve seen great results using your product (let’s hope!). But you can’t just pick a name out of a hat and showcase their results. So, what’s the best way of selecting a client for a case study?
Steer clear of customers who may not be the right fit for your audience or whose results may not be typical.
For example, don’t feature an enterprise company when most of your customers are small businesses. Or a business achieving a 90% customer retention rate when most of them see 70% on average (still impressive, though).
When considering which customer to use, start by creating a list of customers that meet these criteria:
The numbers are what really matter. So choose customers that have seen strong results using your product (like Conair did with RingCentral). But be careful about showcasing exceptionally good results if they’re not likely to be repeated by most.
Strong brands give your product instant social proof. They prove that you’re established and trustworthy. That alone can make you a front-runner in the decision-making process. After all, if Big Brand X trusts you, so can a prospect.
Good results don’t carry as much weight when they’re achieved by companies in other industries or verticals. Identify current customers that are similar to your target audience. A client who has faced similar challenges and pain points will evoke empathy and stir up interest in the mind of your prospective clients.
So, if you sell enterprise software, choose enterprise customers. If you’re a consultant in the healthcare industry, choose a customer that works in healthcare.
With your list in hand, you can start reaching out. Picking up the phone can be a lot more effective than sending an email. It’s more personal, lets you build rapport, and is harder to ignore.
Try to get in touch with customers who use or are very familiar with your product or service—someone who can speak to results. Tell them you’re interested in writing a case study and you’d love to hear more about the results they’ve achieved. Be clear about what the process involves on their part—whether it’s a list of questions in an email, a phone call, or if it involves a camera and crew.
If you’ve provided value, your customer is more likely to see you as a partner rather than a vendor and, hopefully, will be happy to participate. Remember, you’re also shining a spotlight on their own success. So it’s a win-win.
That said, you may hear “no” a few times, too. Don’t get discouraged. Some customers will decline for different reasons, regardless of the results they’ve achieved with your product.
RingCentral: W2O
Start collecting information about your customer. This is easier if you work as a team. From sales to content marketing to customer service, everyone who’s been in touch with customers will have insight about their experience.
They can help you understand what your customers do and sell, and what challenges they’re facing. Identify the stakeholders you need to speak with—anyone in the company who uses your product—from the CEO to the marketing intern. Collect stats, even ones you don’t think are relevant—they may be later.
Smart questions get insightful answers. Here are some examples of great questions to start with:
But don’t stop there. Use these questions to segue into deeper, more targeted questions that underscore the real-world benefits of your product. Let the conversation flow naturally—this is the magic of interviews. You can’t always plan for what interesting topics come up next.
Beyond your customer’s industry, consider who the target audience of the case study is. Who will see it? What group of people does it need to influence?
While it’s often high-level executives who make large purchase decisions, employees at all levels can act as a champion for your product or brand. Your case study may have to persuade an IT worker that your product or service is going to make their job easier. Meanwhile, it may also need to convince the CFO that they’ll see a real return on investment.
During the initial research phase, you’ve likely uncovered a lot of interesting information about your customer and their experiences with your product.
While it might be tempting to use it all, when you write a case study, you should quickly and clearly communicate the value of your product. Go through this information and identify the three most important business results you want to feature, like we did in the Barx Parx example shown below.
So, what does a case study look like visually? It doesn’t have to exist only as a PDF attachment in a late-stage deal email (although there’s nothing wrong with that). Consider the format. Think about who’s going to read it (or watch it).
Do you want to turn this into fancy interactive content? Does your prospect have the time and interest to dig into the details? Or do they just want the facts? Choose the format that you think best engages the audience that you’re selling to.
Here are some options:
This long-form document has been the gold standard for B2B case studies for many years. It’s effective when the subject matter is complex and demands detail.
Here’s how Zendesk presented their case study with IDC as a report .
Remember, a CTO who’s evaluating large-scale business communications platforms for a multi-year deal is going to want more information than a marketing manager who’s evaluating a new social media ad platform.
Keeping things short and sweet is often the best way to get your message heard. By focusing on the key points, you can highlight the biggest wins at just a glance.
Most report format case studies can be easily condensed into a one-page document. This is ideal for prospects (and salespeople) who are short on time and prefer something they can quickly scan.
Few things can tell a story the way that video can, and case studies are no exception. They give you an unmatched level of creative freedom and storytelling using music, lighting, pacing, and voice that can evoke emotions and persuade someone using more than just numbers and facts.
And at just a couple of minutes long, they can do a lot of heavy lifting in not a lot of time.
Dropbox: Expedia
If you’re wondering how to make a case study more memorable, it’s worth noting that people love infographics. They’re an excellent way to convey important data in a simple, eye-pleasing way.
If your case study requires you to use a lot of data to prove a point—or if visualizing data can make the results more clear—building an infographic case study can be a great investment.
Congrats. You’ve done the research. You’ve made the calls. You’ve pored over all the details. Now, all you have to do is write.
Here are five simple steps that’ll help you better understand how to create a case study that champions your customer and clearly showcases the real-world value of your products or services.
Set the stage for your case study with an introduction. Briefly explain who your customer is with a bit of background information that can include their industry, product, company size, and location.
You don’t have to dig into the nuts and bolts of their business, but you do want the reader to understand who they are and what they do. The more color you can provide here, the more impactful it’ll be when you show the awesome results this customer saw because they chose you.
Every product or service is a possible solution to a problem. Explain the problem (or problems) that you helped your customer overcome. Describe the larger impact of the issue. Maybe it was customers leaving. Perhaps it was bad leads—or good leads that were never followed up on.
Use this as an opportunity to clearly show what was at stake, and make sure you leave the jargon out of it. Frame the problem in simple terms that any reader can understand.
This is where you begin solving the problem. Briefly introduce your proposed solution and what it does.
Start on a general level, then apply it to the challenge the customer was experiencing. Talk about which teams or individuals used your product and how they used it. Be sure to make the connection between the customer’s problem and your solution crystal clear.
The big reveal. What kind of results was your customer able to achieve using your product or service? Speak to how they solved the problem descriptively, but also with cold, hard numbers.
Not everything can be measured in numbers (sometimes, peace of mind is a powerful benefit all on its own), but whenever you can, back up your story with the stats. At the very least, this will make it easy for a CFO—or a prospective customer who wants to buy—to justify buying your product.
For example:
The customer saw a 33% increase in web traffic, a large influx of social media activity, and a 10% boost in revenue over the duration of the campaign.
Don’t forget to show your math. How you get the results is just as important as the results themselves. What specific steps were taken to get those results? Not only will this help validate your claims, it makes it easier to envision how the reader may be able to achieve them, too.
That’s how to write a case study in broad strokes, but you might be wondering how to write a business case study that stands out from the crowd? Here are some top tips:
As a subject matter expert in your line of work, it can be tempting to go into as much jargony detail as possible. This is normal as it’s often the language we use at work every day.
Remember, though, that your customer probably doesn’t speak that language. When in doubt, try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who doesn’t live and breathe your product or industry..
It’s tempting to use the case study’s most interesting or impressive KPI as your title. But that also gives away the ending before the story begins, and skips details that are important for context in the process. Try writing a title that piques interest without being a spoiler.
Once you’ve got your first draft completed (and the jargon removed), edit the case study. When writing case studies, one proofread is never enough. A few best practices here:
And then do it all over again until you can’t edit it down anymore without losing the essence of the story.
Well-designed charts, graphs, images, or infographics can do the heavy lifting of several pages of text in just seconds.
They can also help break up large pieces of text, making the case study easier to read—and nicer to look at. After all, the end goal is to have these read all the way through.
Here’s an example of a graphic from a longer CPA Canada infographic (that includes a short case study embedded inside it):
Hard data and results are good. But a customer quote is a great piece of social proof and adds a human element to your case study. And that makes your results more believable.
Here’s an example of what that looks like, from a RingCentral case study :
Some people will take the time to read your case study front to back and absorb every detail. Some won’t give it more than a single glance. And sometimes, that person is the decision-maker.
Make the most important results easy to spot, read, and retain at a glance. Write headings that are descriptive—if someone just scanned them, would they be able to get the gist of the story? Consider putting a summary at the very beginning of the study, or call out impressive results in a larger font size.
Ditch the pen and paper. If you’re conducting one-on-one interviews over the phone, you can save yourself a lot of time and energy by recording the conversation (with your customer’s consent, of course).
There are tools that can make this easier too—you might find one or two in your marketing stack. For example, you could use RingSense AI for automatic note taking, summarizing, and transcribing.
Your prospect is excited because your case study has done an excellent job of showing how your product or service can help drive results for customers. Now, how do they get in touch with you to learn more?
Whether it’s a button that links to your website, an email address, or a phone number, make sure there’s an easy way of getting in touch with you in the case study.
So, that’s the theory covered, but what do great case studies look like in practice? We’ve included a few elements from RingCentral customer stories as examples above, but let’s dig a little deeper into two more of our case studies:
This case study is about Ryder Systems, a Fortune 500 transportation company who modernized their IT communications infrastructure with RingCentral.
We start off with a subheading that sums up the story, plus the key stats at a glance. There’s another stats panel farther down the page to help break up the wall of text. Pull quotes also achieve this, but that’s not the only reason why we like to use quotes.
When the quote comes directly from a senior manager at the company we’ve helped, they’re telling an important part of the story in their own words. In this case, there’s a reference to the amount of money Ryder has saved with RingCentral, and a mention of the platform’s all-in-one cloud capabilities.
The content introduces Ryder and makes it clear that they are a big name in transportation (the single largest truck supplier in the US) and a noteworthy firm in general, as evidenced by membership of the Fortune 500 and Forbes’ Most Admired Companies.
If a big player like this is happy to trust RingCentral with their business, that says a lot about our credentials too.
We mentioned earlier that customers are attracted to testimonials from companies similar to themselves. But RingCentral caters to businesses of all sizes—so if SMBs are reading this case study, we think they’ll see our association with a large company as “social proof” and a sign of our trustworthiness across the board.
The story goes on to explore Ryder’s pain points and how RingCentral solved them, inspiring other companies with similar problems to take action (i.e. to replace legacy systems that are slow and expensive). For further encouragement, it details how Ryder were so happy with the initial success that they also went on to implement RingCentral’s contact center solution.
Just to illustrate our point about RingCentral serving all sizes of business, here’s a case study for a much smaller company—consumer advocacy organization Dispute Nation, which has 10 employees.
Again, the story begins with stats and a pull quote from a company representative. In keeping with Dispute Nation’s values, it focuses less on the financial savings or efficiency brought by RingCentral tools but on how our solution helps this company to help others.
Drawing empathy from other startups and fast-growing small businesses, we mention how demand for the company’s services grew very quickly. This makes it obvious why they needed a unified communications system to reach all their clients by phone, SMS, and fax.
The case study highlights how digital fax in particular helps Dispute Nation to get client cases resolved sooner. Another pull quote mentions some of the other benefits of RingCentral, like automation and integrations with other tools.
There are nods to mobility and flexibility, plus security and data privacy which will resonate with other highly-regulated industries.
The tale finishes strongly with the company founder’s assertion that “RingCentral is helping Dispute Nation improve more lives”. Readers who’ve been inspired to learn more can easily navigate from this page to explore products, resources, and get in touch.
RingCentral is far from the only company to have recognized the importance of this kind of content.
Here are some more real-life case studies from other businesses you might just recognize:
RingCentral iswe’re far from the only company to have recognized the importance of this kind of content.
What we like about it: The title doesn’t give everything away all at once, and the case study tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The sections are clearly titled and organized, and the results are easy to find. As a bonus: the video adds a believable human element.
What we like about it: It’s detailed without being a novella. It understands and speaks to the enterprise customer. The key points are in bullet format and easy to read. The important wins are highlighted. And the video makes the content easy to engage with.
What we like about it: The title makes you want to read the whole customer story. They’ve embedded a well-produced video high on the page, so you can choose to watch it before you read on. The design and layout of the page makes the content and images easy to consume, and the results can’t be missed. Also, they weren’t shy about adding CTAs.
What we like about it: This case study follows the tried and true format of customer, problem, solution, and results. It uses humor and relatable characters throughout to support the story and keep your attention. And it’s only two minutes long so it gets the point across quickly.
What we like about it: This case study tackles the otherwise complex and technical topic, and simplifies it as an infographic using images to make the results clear. It’s concise and easy to follow because you can see the math without actually doing any math.
Starting from scratch can be time-consuming. To help you, we’ve drawn together a few templates:
Generic doesn’t mean boring! Canva’s templates are great if you need something concise and simple that still looks professional . A free account will give you access to several well-designed templates, including this one :
The layout is provided for you, so it’s quick and easy to customize with your branding and content. Don’t be afraid to use this as a foundation, then add in visual elements like infographics and videos.
If your key messages revolve around numbers, start with a template structure that lets you highlight these. HubSpot has a data-focused template where you can pack in graphs, charts, and other visuals to drive your message home:
Not every template suits every company. Visme offers different templates created for different industries, including real estate, financial services, and healthcare.
This format takes a graphical rather than narrative approach, which helps readers to visualize the events and looks colorful and appealing on the page. The template is available as a free download from Smartsheet:
The idea of this is to present the story in a logical and sequential way. It starts with the challenge faced by the subject of the case study, looks at the solution your company provided, and shows what the outcome was.
Of course, you could choose to combine this with other elements like text content, stats, and quotes—making the “problem-solution-impact” graphic the main focus of the case study.
You can choose to focus your case study on a particular product, highlighting key features and the practical applications in the real world.
It leans into the experience that the customer has had with the product—i.e., what it feels like to use it—and the specific benefits. This one is a good choice if the customer hasn’t been using the product for very long, and you haven’t yet gathered a lot of metrics.
HubSpot has a template for this purpose :
Using the style of an in-depth report can be useful when you’ve worked with the customer on a complex project and you need to include a lot of detail.
This template —another free one from Smartsheet—includes elements like decision criteria, data analysis, and the implementation plan:
Just be careful with this one as you don’t want readers to be put off by a lot of text. Make sure the style is conversational and engaging, not dry and formal.
Okay, stick with us here—this one’s a little different. As well as asking customers to tell their stories, how about getting employees to share what it’s like to work for your company, or their experience of working on a particular project?
Employee stories or testimonials are often used for recruitment purposes, but they’re also a valuable form of marketing for potential customers. That’s because happy, engaged employees represent a company that cares about its people, which all helps you to build trust.
This example from Vanguard isn’t a template as such, but you can use it to inspire your own version. (It doesn’t have to be a video—you could still use a written narrative with direct quotes, photos, and stats on employee satisfaction.)
Earlier in this post, we briefly covered some of the questions you’ll need to ask your customers when putting together case studies. But it’s always helpful to have a visual guide, so we’re including this template from Vitally , which provides a framework for collaborating with customers and collecting the relevant data.
You can adapt this to your own needs by adding further questions.
Sure, an ad or boosted social media post can make someone aware of your brand or that your product exists, and a landing page can tell them how your product can solve their problem.
But there’s nothing quite as powerful as someone else singing your praises.
And that’s exactly what a case study does. Spend the time to do it right and it has the potential to deliver huge ROI no matter how big or small your company is. And not just once—but over and over again.
Originally published Jun 15, 2024, updated Aug 15, 2024
Updated June 2024 Even for small businesses, free messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger can quickly become inadequate. Tasks and responsibilities can spiral out of control, security features can be lacking, and if you need to integrate it with your other business apps, good luck. Free consumer-facing apps aren’t designed for the level of ...
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by Nitin Nohria
It’s been 100 years since Harvard Business School began using the case study method. Beyond teaching specific subject matter, the case study method excels in instilling meta-skills in students. This article explains the importance of seven such skills: preparation, discernment, bias recognition, judgement, collaboration, curiosity, and self-confidence.
During my decade as dean of Harvard Business School, I spent hundreds of hours talking with our alumni. To enliven these conversations, I relied on a favorite question: “What was the most important thing you learned from your time in our MBA program?”
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Although case study research may be applied to many settings for many reasons, in this chapter we will focus on its use in illuminating educational and social programs. Program case study designs begin by identifying the specific program to be investigated followed by the selection of specific aspects that will be thoroughly studied. Unless very small and uncomplicated, most programs cannot be studied in their entirety. The selected program elements are then clarified using research questions that will guide the actual case study. Answering these questions through several forms of data collection becomes the principal task of the case study researcher.
Case study research involves the exploration ...
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Posted by Md. Harun Ar Rashid | Aug 5, 2021 | Research Methodology
The case study method is a very popular form of qualitative analysis and involves a careful and complete observation of a social unit, be that unit a person, a family, an institution, a cultural group, or even the entire community. It is a method of study in depth rather than breadth. The case study places more emphasis on the full analysis of a limited number of events or conditions and their interrelations. The case study deals with the processes that take place and their interrelationship. Thus, the case study is essentially an intensive investigation of the particular unit under consideration. The object of the case study method is to locate the factors that account for the behavior patterns of the given unit as an integrated totality.
“The case study method is a technique by which individual factor whether it be an institution or just an episode in the life of an individual or a group is analyzed in its relationship to any other in the group.” ( H. Odum )
“A comprehensive study of a social unit be that unit a person, a group, a social institution, a district or a community.” ( Pauline V. Young )
The case study method is a form of qualitative analysis wherein careful and complete observation of an individual or a situation or an institution is done; efforts are made to study each and every aspect of the concerning unit in minute details and then from case data generalizations and inferences are drawn.
Characteristics: The essential characteristics of the case study method are as under:
Advantages: There are several advantages of the case study method, some of them are being:
Limitations: Important limitations of the case study method may as well be highlighted.
Despite the above-stated limitations, we find that case studies are being undertaken in several disciplines, particularly in sociology, as a tool of scientific research in view of the several advantages indicated earlier. Most of the limitations can be removed if researchers are always conscious of these and are well trained in the modern methods of collecting case data and in the scientific techniques of assembling, classifying, and processing the same. Besides, case studies, in modern times, can be conducted in such a manner that the data are amenable to quantification and statistical treatment. Possibly, this is also the reason why case studies are becoming popular day by day.
Reference: Research Methodology written by C.R. Kothari
Former Student at Rajshahi University
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Written by: Oghale Olori
Case studies are more than just success stories.
They are powerful tools that demonstrate the practical value of your product or service. Case studies help attract attention to your products, build trust with potential customers and ultimately drive sales.
It’s no wonder that 73% of successful content marketers utilize case studies as part of their content strategy. Plus, buyers spend 54% of their time reviewing case studies before they make a buying decision.
To ensure you’re making the most of your case studies, we’ve put together 15 real-life case study examples to inspire you. These examples span a variety of industries and formats. We’ve also included best practices, design tips and templates to inspire you.
Let’s dive in!
What is a case study, 15 real-life case study examples, sales case study examples, saas case study examples, product case study examples, marketing case study examples, business case study examples, case study faqs.
A case study is a real-life scenario where your company helped a person or business solve their unique challenges. It provides a detailed analysis of the positive outcomes achieved as a result of implementing your solution.
Case studies are an effective way to showcase the value of your product or service to potential customers without overt selling. By sharing how your company transformed a business, you can attract customers seeking similar solutions and results.
Case studies are not only about your company's capabilities; they are primarily about the benefits customers and clients have experienced from using your product.
Every great case study is made up of key elements. They are;
Now that you understand what a case study is, let’s look at real-life case study examples. Among these, you'll find some simple case study examples that break down complex ideas into easily understandable solutions.
In this section, we’ll explore SaaS, marketing, sales, product and business case study examples with solutions. Take note of how these companies structured their case studies and included the key elements.
We’ve also included professionally designed case study templates to inspire you.
Georgia Tech Athletics, with its 8,000 football season ticket holders, sought for a way to increase efficiency and customer engagement.
Their initial sales process involved making multiple outbound phone calls per day with no real targeting or guidelines. Georgia Tech believed that targeting communications will enable them to reach more people in real time.
Salesloft improved Georgia Tech’s sales process with an inbound structure. This enabled sales reps to connect with their customers on a more targeted level. The use of dynamic fields and filters when importing lists ensured prospects received the right information, while communication with existing fans became faster with automation.
As a result, Georgia Tech Athletics recorded an 80% increase in season ticket sales as relationships with season ticket holders significantly improved. Employee engagement increased as employees became more energized to connect and communicate with fans.
In this case study example , Salesloft utilized the key elements of a good case study. Their introduction gave an overview of their customers' challenges and the results they enjoyed after using them. After which they categorized the case study into three main sections: challenge, solution and result.
Salesloft utilized a case study video to increase engagement and invoke human connection.
Incorporating videos in your case study has a lot of benefits. Wyzol’s 2023 state of video marketing report showed a direct correlation between videos and an 87% increase in sales.
The beautiful thing is that creating videos for your case study doesn’t have to be daunting.
With an easy-to-use platform like Visme, you can create top-notch testimonial videos that will connect with your audience. Within the Visme editor, you can access over 1 million stock photos , video templates, animated graphics and more. These tools and resources will significantly improve the design and engagement of your case study.
Sign up. It’s free.
WeightWatchers, a 60-year-old wellness company, sought a CRM solution that increased the efficiency of their sales process. With their previous system, Weightwatchers had limited automation. They would copy-paste message templates from word documents or recreate one email for a batch of customers.
This required a huge effort from sales reps, account managers and leadership, as they were unable to track leads or pull customized reports for planning and growth.
WeightWatchers transformed their B2B sales strategy by leveraging HubSpot's robust marketing and sales workflows. They utilized HubSpot’s deal pipeline and automation features to streamline lead qualification. And the customized dashboard gave leadership valuable insights.
As a result, WeightWatchers generated seven figures in annual contract value and boosted recurring revenue. Hubspot’s impact resulted in 100% adoption across all sales, marketing, client success and operations teams.
Hubspot structured its case study into separate sections, demonstrating the specific benefits of their products to various aspects of the customer's business. Additionally, they integrated direct customer quotes in each section to boost credibility, resulting in a more compelling case study.
Getting insight from your customer about their challenges is one thing. But writing about their process and achievements in a concise and relatable way is another. If you find yourself constantly experiencing writer’s block, Visme’s AI writer is perfect for you.
Visme created this AI text generator tool to take your ideas and transform them into a great draft. So whether you need help writing your first draft or editing your final case study, Visme is ready for you.
Immi embarked on a mission to recreate healthier ramen recipes that were nutritious and delicious. After 2 years of tireless trials, Immi finally found the perfect ramen recipe. However, they envisioned a community of passionate ramen enthusiasts to fuel their business growth.
This vision propelled them to partner with Shopify Collabs. Shopify Collabs successfully cultivated and managed Immi’s Ramen community of ambassadors and creators.
As a result of their partnership, Immi’s community grew to more than 400 dedicated members, generating over $200,000 in total affiliate sales.
The power of data-driven headlines cannot be overemphasized. Chili Piper strategically incorporates quantifiable results in their headlines. This instantly sparks curiosity and interest in readers.
While not every customer success story may boast headline-grabbing figures, quantifying achievements in percentages is still effective. For example, you can highlight a 50% revenue increase with the implementation of your product.
Take a look at the beautiful case study template below. Just like in the example above, the figures in the headline instantly grab attention and entice your reader to click through.
Having a case study document is a key factor in boosting engagement. This makes it easy to promote your case study in multiple ways. With Visme, you can easily publish, download and share your case study with your customers in a variety of formats, including PDF, PPTX, JPG and more!
This case study discusses how Visme helped WOW! save time and money by providing user-friendly tools to create interactive and quality training materials for their employees. Find out what your team can do with Visme. Request a Demo
WOW!'s learning and development team creates high-quality training materials for new and existing employees. Previous tools and platforms they used had plain templates, little to no interactivity features, and limited flexibility—that is, until they discovered Visme.
Now, the learning and development team at WOW! use Visme to create engaging infographics, training videos, slide decks and other training materials.
This has directly reduced the company's turnover rate, saving them money spent on recruiting and training new employees. It has also saved them a significant amount of time, which they can now allocate to other important tasks.
Visme's customer testimonials spark an emotional connection with the reader, leaving a profound impact. Upon reading this case study, prospective customers will be blown away by the remarkable efficiency achieved by Visme's clients after switching from PowerPoint.
Visme’s interactivity feature was a game changer for WOW! and one of the primary reasons they chose Visme.
“Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we’ve all steered away from PowerPoint.” - Kendra, L&D team, Wow!
Visme’s interactive feature allowed them to animate their infographics, include clickable links on their PowerPoint designs and even embed polls and quizzes their employees could interact with.
By embedding the slide decks, infographics and other training materials WOW! created with Visme, potential customers get a taste of what they can create with the tool. This is much more effective than describing the features of Visme because it allows potential customers to see the tool in action.
To top it all off, this case study utilized relevant data and figures. For example, one part of the case study said, “In Visme, where Kendra’s team has access to hundreds of templates, a brand kit, and millions of design assets at their disposal, their team can create presentations in 80% less time.”
Who wouldn't want that?
Including relevant figures and graphics in your case study is a sure way to convince your potential customers why you’re a great fit for their brand. The case study template below is a great example of integrating relevant figures and data.
This colorful template begins with a captivating headline. But that is not the best part; this template extensively showcases the results their customer had using relevant figures.
The arrangement of the results makes it fun and attractive. Instead of just putting figures in a plain table, you can find interesting shapes in your Visme editor to take your case study to the next level.
While Lyte was redefining the ticketing industry, it had no definite CRM system . Lyte utilized 12–15 different SaaS solutions across various departments, which led to a lack of alignment between teams, duplication of work and overlapping tasks.
Customer data was spread across these platforms, making it difficult to effectively track their customer journey. As a result, their churn rate increased along with customer dissatisfaction.
Through Fuelius , Lyte founded and implemented Hubspot CRM. Lyte's productivity skyrocketed after incorporating Hubspot's all-in-one CRM tool. With improved efficiency, better teamwork and stronger client relationships, sales figures soared.
The case study title page and executive summary act as compelling entry points for both existing and potential customers. This overview provides a clear understanding of the case study and also strategically incorporates key details like the client's industry, location and relevant background information.
Having a good summary of your case study can prompt your readers to engage further. You can achieve this with a simple but effective case study one-pager that highlights your customer’s problems, process and achievements, just like this case study did in the beginning.
Moreover, you can easily distribute your case study one-pager and use it as a lead magnet to draw prospective customers to your company.
Take a look at this case study one-pager template below.
This template includes key aspects of your case study, such as the introduction, key findings, conclusion and more, without overcrowding the page. The use of multiple shades of blue gives it a clean and dynamic layout.
Our favorite part of this template is where the age group is visualized.
With Visme’s data visualization tool , you can present your data in tables, graphs, progress bars, maps and so much more. All you need to do is choose your preferred data visualization widget, input or import your data and click enter!
Workato wanted to improve their inbound leads and increase their conversion rate, which ranged from 40-55%.
At first, Workato searched for a simple scheduling tool. They soon discovered that they needed a tool that provided advanced routing capabilities based on zip code and other criteria. Luckily, they found and implemented Chili Piper.
As a result of implementing Chili Piper, Workato achieved a remarkable 75–80% conversion rate and improved show rates. This led to a substantial revenue boost, with a 10-15% increase in revenue attributed to Chili Piper's impact on lead conversion.
This case study example utilizes the power of video testimonials to drive the impact of their product.
Chili Piper incorporates screenshots and clips of their tool in use. This is a great strategy because it helps your viewers become familiar with how your product works, making onboarding new customers much easier.
In this case study example, we see the importance of efficient Workflow Management Systems (WMS). Without a WMS, you manually assign tasks to your team members and engage in multiple emails for regular updates on progress.
However, when crafting and designing your case study, you should prioritize having a good WMS.
Visme has an outstanding Workflow Management System feature that keeps you on top of all your projects and designs. This feature makes it much easier to assign roles, ensure accuracy across documents, and track progress and deadlines.
Visme’s WMS feature allows you to limit access to your entire document by assigning specific slides or pages to individual members of your team. At the end of the day, your team members are not overwhelmed or distracted by the whole document but can focus on their tasks.
Vomask's reliance on third-party fulfillment companies became a challenge as demand for their masks grew. Seeking a reliable fulfillment partner, they found Rush Order and entrusted them with their entire inventory.
Vomask's partnership with Rush Order proved to be a lifesaver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush Order's agility, efficiency and commitment to customer satisfaction helped Vogmask navigate the unprecedented demand and maintain its reputation for quality and service.
Rush Order’s comprehensive support enabled Vogmask to scale up its order processing by a staggering 900% while maintaining a remarkable customer satisfaction rate of 92%.
Rush Order chose one event where their impact mattered the most to their customer and shared that story.
While pandemics don't happen every day, you can look through your customer’s journey and highlight a specific time or scenario where your product or service saved their business.
The story of Vogmask and Rush Order is compelling, but it simply is not enough. The case study format and design attract readers' attention and make them want to know more. Rush Order uses consistent colors throughout the case study, starting with the logo, bold square blocks, pictures, and even headers.
Take a look at this product case study template below.
Just like our example, this case study template utilizes bold colors and large squares to attract and maintain the reader’s attention. It provides enough room for you to write about your customers' backgrounds/introductions, challenges, goals and results.
The right combination of shapes and colors adds a level of professionalism to this case study template.
With limits on website customization, slow page loading and multiple website crashes during peak events, it wasn't long before AMR Hair & Beauty began looking for a new e-commerce solution.
Their existing platform lacked effective search and filtering options, a seamless checkout process and the data analytics capabilities needed for informed decision-making. This led to a significant number of abandoned carts.
Upon switching to Shopify Plus, AMR immediately saw improvements in page loading speed and average session duration. They added better search and filtering options for their wholesale customers and customized their checkout process.
Due to this, AMR witnessed a 200% increase in sales and a 77% rise in B2B average order value. AMR Hair & Beauty is now poised for further expansion and growth.
This case study example showcases the power of a concise and impactful narrative.
To make their case analysis more effective, Shopify focused on the most relevant aspects of the customer's journey. While there may have been other challenges the customer faced, they only included those that directly related to their solutions.
Take a look at this case study template below. It is perfect if you want to create a concise but effective case study. Without including unnecessary details, you can outline the challenges, solutions and results your customers experienced from using your product.
Don’t forget to include a strong CTA within your case study. By incorporating a link, sidebar pop-up or an exit pop-up into your case study, you can prompt your readers and prospective clients to connect with you.
SmartBox Dental , a marketing agency specializing in dental practices, sought ways to make dental advice more interesting and easier to read. However, they lacked the design skills to do so effectively.
Visme's wide range of templates and features made it easy for the team to create high-quality content quickly and efficiently. SmartBox Dental enjoyed creating infographics in as little as 10-15 minutes, compared to one hour before Visme was implemented.
By leveraging Visme, SmartBox Dental successfully transformed dental content into a more enjoyable and informative experience for their clients' patients. Therefore enhancing its reputation as a marketing partner that goes the extra mile to deliver value to its clients.
Visme creatively incorporates testimonials In this case study example.
By showcasing infographics and designs created by their clients, they leverage the power of social proof in a visually compelling way. This way, potential customers gain immediate insight into the creative possibilities Visme offers as a design tool.
This example effectively showcases a product's versatility and impact, and we can learn a lot about writing a case study from it. Instead of focusing on one tool or feature per customer, Visme took a more comprehensive approach.
Within each section of their case study, Visme explained how a particular tool or feature played a key role in solving the customer's challenges.
For example, this case study highlighted Visme’s collaboration tool . With Visme’s tool, the SmartBox Dental content team fostered teamwork, accountability and effective supervision.
Visme also achieved a versatile case study by including relevant quotes to showcase each tool or feature. Take a look at some examples;
Visme’s collaboration tool: “We really like the collaboration tool. Being able to see what a co-worker is working on and borrow their ideas or collaborate on a project to make sure we get the best end result really helps us out.”
Visme’s library of stock photos and animated characters: “I really love the images and the look those give to an infographic. I also really like the animated little guys and the animated pictures. That’s added a lot of fun to our designs.”
Visme’s interactivity feature: “You can add URLs and phone number links directly into the infographic so they can just click and call or go to another page on the website and I really like adding those hyperlinks in.”
You can ask your customers to talk about the different products or features that helped them achieve their business success and draw quotes from each one.
Jasper, an AI writing tool, lacked a scalable content strategy to drive organic traffic and user growth. They needed help creating content that converted visitors into users. Especially when a looming domain migration threatened organic traffic.
To address these challenges, Jasper partnered with Omniscient Digital. Their goal was to turn their content into a growth channel and drive organic growth. Omniscient Digital developed a full content strategy for Jasper AI, which included a content audit, competitive analysis, and keyword discovery.
Through their collaboration, Jasper’s organic blog sessions increased by 810%, despite the domain migration. They also witnessed a 400X increase in blog-attributed signups. And more importantly, the content program contributed to over $4 million in annual recurring revenue.
The combination of storytelling and video testimonials within the case study example makes this a real winner. But there’s a twist to it. Omniscient segmented the video testimonials and placed them in different sections of the case study.
Video marketing , especially in case studies, works wonders. Research shows us that 42% of people prefer video testimonials because they show real customers with real success stories. So if you haven't thought of it before, incorporate video testimonials into your case study.
Take a look at this stunning video testimonial template. With its simple design, you can input the picture, name and quote of your customer within your case study in a fun and engaging way.
Try it yourself! Customize this template with your customer’s testimonial and add it to your case study!
Meliá Hotels needed help managing their growing social media customer service needs. Despite having over 500 social accounts, they lacked a unified response protocol and detailed reporting. This largely hindered efficiency and brand consistency.
Meliá partnered with Hootsuite to build an in-house social customer care team. Implementing Hootsuite's tools enabled Meliá to decrease response times from 24 hours to 12.4 hours while also leveraging smart automation.
In addition to that, Meliá resolved over 133,000 conversations, booking 330 inquiries per week through Hootsuite Inbox. They significantly improved brand consistency, response time and customer satisfaction.
The need for a good case study design cannot be over-emphasized.
As soon as anyone lands on this case study example, they are mesmerized by a beautiful case study design. This alone raises the interest of readers and keeps them engaged till the end.
If you’re currently saying to yourself, “ I can write great case studies, but I don’t have the time or skill to turn it into a beautiful document.” Say no more.
Visme’s amazing AI document generator can take your text and transform it into a stunning and professional document in minutes! Not only do you save time, but you also get inspired by the design.
With Visme’s document generator, you can create PDFs, case study presentations , infographics and more!
Take a look at this case study template below. Just like our case study example, it captures readers' attention with its beautiful design. Its dynamic blend of colors and fonts helps to segment each element of the case study beautifully.
Tamika's journey began when she purchased Tea's Me Cafe in 2017, saving it from closure. She recognized the potential of the cafe as a community hub and hosted regular events centered on social issues and youth empowerment.
One of Tamika’s business goals was to automate her business. She sought to streamline business processes across various aspects of her business. One of the ways she achieves this goal is through Constant Contact.
Constant Contact became an integral part of Tamika's marketing strategy. They provided an automated and centralized platform for managing email newsletters, event registrations, social media scheduling and more.
This allowed Tamika and her team to collaborate efficiently and focus on engaging with their audience. They effectively utilized features like WooCommerce integration, text-to-join and the survey builder to grow their email list, segment their audience and gather valuable feedback.
The case study example utilizes the power of storytelling to form a connection with readers. Constant Contact takes a humble approach in this case study. They spotlight their customers' efforts as the reason for their achievements and growth, establishing trust and credibility.
This case study is also visually appealing, filled with high-quality photos of their customer. While this is a great way to foster originality, it can prove challenging if your customer sends you blurry or low-quality photos.
If you find yourself in that dilemma, you can use Visme’s AI image edit tool to touch up your photos. With Visme’s AI tool, you can remove unwanted backgrounds, erase unwanted objects, unblur low-quality pictures and upscale any photo without losing the quality.
Constant Contact offers its readers various formats to engage with their case study. Including an audio podcast and PDF.
In its PDF version, Constant Contact utilized its brand colors to create a stunning case study design. With this, they increase brand awareness and, in turn, brand recognition with anyone who comes across their case study.
With Visme’s brand wizard tool , you can seamlessly incorporate your brand assets into any design or document you create. By inputting your URL, Visme’s AI integration will take note of your brand colors, brand fonts and more and create branded templates for you automatically.
You don't need to worry about spending hours customizing templates to fit your brand anymore. You can focus on writing amazing case studies that promote your company.
Breakwater Kitchens struggled with managing their business operations efficiently. They spent a lot of time on manual tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing client communication. This made it difficult for them to grow their business and provide the best possible service to their customers.
David, the owner, discovered Thryv. With Thryv, Breakwater Kitchens was able to automate many of their manual tasks. Additionally, Thryv integrated social media management. This enabled Breakwater Kitchens to deliver a consistent brand message, captivate its audience and foster online growth.
As a result, Breakwater Kitchens achieved increased efficiency, reduced missed appointments and a 7% growth in sales.
This case study example uses a concise format and strong verbs, which make it easy for readers to absorb the information.
At the top of the case study, Thryv immediately builds trust by presenting their customer's complete profile, including their name, company details and website. This allows potential customers to verify the case study's legitimacy, making them more likely to believe in Thryv's services.
However, manually copying and pasting customer information across multiple pages of your case study can be time-consuming.
To save time and effort, you can utilize Visme's dynamic field feature . Dynamic fields automatically insert reusable information into your designs. So you don’t have to type it out multiple times.
Zoom experienced rapid growth with the advent of remote work and the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such growth called for agility and resilience to scale through.
At the time, Zoom’s assets were disorganized which made retrieving brand information a burden. Zoom’s creative manager spent no less than 10 hours per week finding and retrieving brand assets for internal teams.
Zoom needed a more sustainable approach to organizing and retrieving brand information and came across Brandfolder. Brandfolder simplified and accelerated Zoom’s email localization and webpage development. It also enhanced the creation and storage of Zoom virtual backgrounds.
With Brandfolder, Zoom now saves 4,000+ hours every year. The company also centralized its assets in Brandfolder, which allowed 6,800+ employees and 20-30 vendors to quickly access them.
Brandfolder infused its case study with compelling data and backed it up with verifiable sources. This data-driven approach boosts credibility and increases the impact of their story.
Bradfolder's case study goes the extra mile by providing a downloadable PDF version, making it convenient for readers to access the information on their own time. Their dedication to crafting stunning visuals is evident in every aspect of the project.
From the vibrant colors to the seamless navigation, everything has been meticulously designed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. And with clickable links that make exploring the content a breeze, the user experience is guaranteed to be nothing short of exceptional.
The thing is, your case study presentation won’t always sit on your website. There are instances where you may need to do a case study presentation for clients, partners or potential investors.
Visme has a rich library of templates you can tap into. But if you’re racing against the clock, Visme’s AI presentation maker is your best ally.
Cents of Style had a successful affiliate and influencer marketing strategy. However, their existing affiliate marketing platform was not intuitive, customizable or transparent enough to meet the needs of their influencers.
Cents of Styles needed an easy-to-use affiliate marketing platform that gave them more freedom to customize their program and implement a multi-tier commission program.
After exploring their options, Cents of Style decided on LeadDyno.
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Case studies provide a detailed narrative of how your product or service was used to solve a problem. Examples are general illustrations and are not necessarily real-life scenarios.
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Ever wondered why the case study method is so popular in fields like business, psychology, and education? It’s because case studies offer a unique way to dive deep into real-world scenarios, allowing you to explore complex issues in a detailed manner. By examining specific instances, you gain insights that are often missed in broader surveys or theoretical research.
But like any other research method, the case study approach has its pros and cons. While it provides in-depth understanding and rich qualitative data, it can also be time-consuming and sometimes lacks generalizability. So, how do you decide if it’s the right method for your research? Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages to help you make an informed choice.
Curious about how the case study method can enhance your entrepreneurial journey? Let’s break it down.
A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single entity, such as an individual, group, organization, or event. By focusing on real-life contexts, it provides comprehensive insights that can unveil unique patterns typically missed by broader research methods. This method involves a mix of qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, including interviews, observations, and document analysis.
Researchers use case studies extensively across various fields due to their flexibility and depth of analysis. In business, they help you understand market trends, customer behavior, and effective strategies by examining real-life examples. Successful startups often serve as case studies, providing valuable lessons for budding entrepreneurs. In education, case studies contextualize theories, making learning more relatable. In psychology, they offer detailed explorations of specific issues or treatments, which can inform broader practices.
The case study method stands out in business and entrepreneurial research, offering in-depth insights and practical lessons.
You gather comprehensive data through case studies, using techniques like interviews, observations, and document reviews. By employing both qualitative and quantitative methods, you gain a thorough understanding of real-world applications and business strategies. This approach lets you explore each aspect of a business scenario, providing detailed evidence for your insights.
Case studies reveal unique patterns and hidden details often missed by broader research methods. When you analyze a successful startup, you uncover specific strategies that contributed to its success. This method helps you understand the context behind decisions, market conditions, and customer behavior, offering actionable insights for your entrepreneurial endeavors. By focusing on the nuances, you can apply these learnings to your own business and side-hustles, refining your strategies for better outcomes.
Despite the many advantages, the case study method also presents several challenges that can impact its effectiveness in business contexts.
Case studies provide in-depth insights into specific scenarios; however, they often lack broad applicability. When focusing on a single business or entrepreneur, findings may not represent the experiences of others. For instance, a strategy that worked for a particular online startup might not yield the same results for a different venture due to varying market conditions and business models. Limited sample sizes in case studies further constrain their generalizability, making it difficult to formulate universal conclusions or industry-wide trends.
Conducting case studies requires significant time and effort. Collecting data through interviews, observations, and document reviews can be particularly exhaustive. As an entrepreneur juggling multiple side-hustles, dedicating time to such detailed research might detract from hands-on activities that directly impact your business. Long research durations also delay the availability of insights, making them less timely or relevant in rapidly evolving market conditions. This time-intensive nature can be a deterrent, especially when quick decision-making and agility are crucial for business success.
For entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts like you, the case study method offers a way to dive deep into specific business scenarios. It’s a powerful tool, but it has both benefits and challenges.
Use the case study method when you need detailed, practical insights. This method works well when exploring unique business models, understanding specific customer behaviors, or examining the success strategies of other startups. Large-scale statistics can’t capture the nuances you get from a focused case study.
To mitigate the limitations of case studies, employ these strategies:
These strategies help you get the most out of the case study method while addressing common drawbacks.
The case study method offers a unique way to gain in-depth insights and analyze complex scenarios in various fields. While it has its challenges like time consumption and limited generalizability you can still leverage its strengths by using diverse sources and effective time management. Collaborating with others can also help you make the most out of your case studies. By understanding when and how to use this method you’ll be better equipped to harness its full potential for your business or research endeavors.
What are the primary benefits of the case study method in business.
The case study method offers detailed insights, helps analyze market trends, and understands customer behavior through both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques.
The case study method is popular in business, psychology, and education for its ability to provide comprehensive and detailed insights.
The main disadvantages include limitations in generalizability and the time-consuming nature of conducting in-depth research.
Businesses can mitigate limitations by diversifying their data sources, managing research time effectively, and collaborating with others to enhance the quality and applicability of their case studies.
Entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts should choose the case study method when they need detailed, qualitative insights that cannot be captured through other research methods.
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To examine the clinical characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of contact lens-related bacterial keratitis (CLBK) in a large UK tertiary referral centre.
A retrospective analysis of all patients who presented to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK, with suspected CLBK between October 2015 to September 2022 (a 7-year period) was performed. Relevant data on demographic factors, CL wear behaviour, causes, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were analysed.
We included 138 patients with CLBK; the mean age was 42.0 ± 17.8 years and 74 (53.6%) patients were male. Most CLBK were related to soft CL wear (94.5%), particularly monthly disposable (42.5%) and daily disposable (24.4%) CLs. Poor CL wear behaviour/hygiene was documented in 57.1% cases. Among the 64 (46.4%) microbiological-positive cases (n = 73 organisms), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (36, 49.3%) and Staphylococcus spp . (16, 21.9%) were most commonly identified. Six (4.3%) cases were polymicrobial. Most (97.0%) patients were successfully treated with topical antibiotics alone, with 80.6% achieving good final corrected-distance-visual-acuity (CDVA) of ≥ 0.30 logMAR. Poor visual outcome (final CDVA < 0.30 logMAR) was significantly associated with presenting CDVA < 0.6 logMAR ( p = 0.002) and central ulcer ( p = 0.004). Poor corneal healing (complete healing of > 30 days from initial presentation) was significantly associated with age > 50 years ( p = 0.028), female gender ( p = 0.020), and infiltrate size >3 mm ( p = 0.031).
Poor CL wear behaviour/hygiene is commonly observed in CLBK, highlighting the importance of improved counselling and awareness regarding CL use and hygiene. When presented early and managed appropriately, most patients are able to achieve good clinical outcomes with medical treatment alone.
Introduction.
Infectious keratitis (IK) represents the leading cause of corneal blindness worldwide [ 1 , 2 ]. Global incidence of IK has been estimated at approximately 2.5 to 799 cases per 100,000 population/year, with a considerably higher incidence in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is a painful and potentially sight-threatening ocular disease that often requires intensive treatment and/or hospitalisation, posing significant impact on patients’ quality of life, healthcare systems, and economy [ 3 ].
IK can be caused by a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Bacterial keratitis (BK) has been consistently shown to be the most common cause of microbial keratitis (i.e., bacterial, fungal, and protozoan keratitis) in developed countries, including the UK, accounting for > 90% of all cases of microbial keratitis in some studies [ 4 , 5 ]. The innate defence mechanisms at the ocular surface ensure that IK rarely occurs without any predisposing factor [ 2 , 6 , 7 ]. Among all, contact lens (CL) wear is recognised as one of the main risk factors for BK [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Some studies have highlighted ~10-80 times increased risk of developing IK in CL wearers compared to healthy non-CL wearers [ 11 , 12 ]. This has a significant implication on global health as the number of contact lens wearers has been estimated at 140 million worldwide and is likely to increase in the coming decades [ 13 ].
CL-related IK tends to affect younger patients and working adults more commonly due to their higher social and occupational needs for CL [ 8 , 14 ]. This could have a considerably negative effect on work productivity and economy as a result of lost working days. CL-related IK is most commonly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa , likely attributed to its ability to survive in contact lens solution and ocular environment and to form biofilm on CL [ 8 , 9 , 15 ]. Several risk factors associated with CL-related IK have been highlighted; these included CL material and design, overnight wear, showering/swimming with CL use, and poor hygiene, amongst others [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].
Despite the prevalent number of CL wearers and the potential impact of CL-related IK, there was no study in the past decade that had specifically evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of CLBK in the UK. In view of the gap in the literature, this study aimed to provide an up-to-date analysis of CL-related BK (CLBK) in a major tertiary ophthalmic referral centre in the UK.
This was a retrospective study which captured all patients who had presented to Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK between October 2015 and September 2022 (a 7-year period) with suspected CLBK bacterial keratitis and underwent corneal sampling. The study was approved as a clinical audit by the Clinical Governance team at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (Ref: 19–265C) and was conducted in accordance with the tenets of Declaration of Helsinki.
Potential eligible patients were first identified through the local microbiology database [ 8 , 19 ]. Both microbiological-positive and microbiological-negative presumed CLBK cases were included. Microbiological-positive cases were defined by the presence of clinical characteristics of BK (e.g., corneal epithelial defect, infiltrate, and anterior chamber activity) with microbiological confirmation of bacterial organism(s) from corneal sampling. Microbiological-negative cases were defined by the presence of clinical characteristics of BK in the absence of positive microbiological result and was treated with intensive topical antibiotic treatment alone (but no other antimicrobial treatment). Exclusion criteria included cases that were not related to CL wear, non-bacterial related or mixed infections (i.e. mixed bacterial, fungal and/or Acanthamoeba infections).
Relevant data regarding demographic factors, risk factors, presenting features, corrected-distance-visual-acuity (CDVA), causative organisms, treatment, and outcomes were collected from local electronic health record systems using a standardised excel proforma. Details on CL wear included the type of CL worn (e.g. daily/monthly disposable soft CL, extended wear soft CL, rigid gas permeable (RGP) CL, therapeutic bandage CL, and cosmetic CL), overnight wear, contact with water (e.g. showering or swimming with CL wear), and frequency/duration of wear. Extended wear was referred to the CL type that were designed to be worn continuously, including overnight, whereas overnight wear was referred to the behavioural use of CL overnight (irrespective of whether the CL was designed as extended wear or not). The size of epithelial defect and infiltrate was defined by the maximal linear dimension of the ulcer and was divided into 3 categories: (1) small ( < 3.0 mm); (2) moderate (3.1–6 mm); and (3) large ( > 6.0 mm) [ 8 ]. The location of ulcer was defined as: (1) peripheral: ulcer located fully within 3 mm of the limbus; (2) paracentral: any part of the ulcer involving the paracentral cornea ( > 3 mm from the limbus) but not affecting the visual axis; and (3) central: any part of the ulcer affecting the visual axis.
All patients who presented with suspected CLBK with any of the following clinical characteristics, including (1) ulcer of >1 mm diameter, (2) central location, (3) presence of anterior chamber activity and/or hypopyon, and/or (4) atypical clinical presentation, underwent corneal sampling as per the departmental guideline [ 8 ]. Corneal samples were sent for microscopic examination, microbiological culture and susceptibility testing, and/or 16S/18S polymerase chain reaction (PCR; only introduced since June 2021) [ 20 ]. CL and CL solution were not routinely sent for culture, and therefore the results were not included in the analysis. Cultures were inoculated on chocolate, blood, fastidious anaerobic, and Sabouraud dextrose agars to isolate bacterial and fungal organisms. For suspected Acanthamoeba keratitis, corneal sampling was performed for either culture (using non-nutrient agar with Escherichia coli overlay) or PCR [ 21 ]. However, as stated, fungal and Acanthamoeba positive cases were excluded from this study.
All patients were started on intensive topical antibiotics with either fluoroquinolone monotherapy (levofloxacin 0.5% or moxifloxacin 0.5%) or dual therapy using fortified cefuroxime 5% plus fortified aminoglycoside (e.g., amikacin 2.5% or gentamicin 1.5%) or levofloxacin 0.5%. Topical antibiotics were given every hourly for first 48 h then slowly tapered off over a few weeks-months, depending on the treatment response and clinical progress. Adjustments to treatment were made (if necessary) depending on the microbiological results and clinical response to treatment. Hospitalisation was indicated in moderate/severe or potentially sight-threatening cases, presence of considerable corneal melt or threatened/actual corneal perforation, or patients who might not manage or comply with treatment at home [ 8 ]. Systemic antibiotic was administered if there was risk or evidence of sclerokeratitis or intraocular involvement such as endophthalmitis (which would also require intravitreal antibiotics).
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 28.0 (IBM Corp; Armonk, NY, USA). For descriptive and analytic purposes, cases were divided into microbiological-positive and microbiological-negative cases. Chi square test or Fisher’s Exact test was used to analyse the difference between categorical variables whereas Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the means between two groups where appropriate. CDVA was recorded and analysed in logMAR unit. CDVA of counting fingers, hand movement, perception of light, and no perception of light were converted to 1.9, 2.3, 2.8, and 3.0 logMAR, respectively [ 22 ]. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine for any prognostic factors for poor visual outcome (defined as a final CDVA < 0.30 logMAR) and poor corneal healing (defined as > 30 days for complete corneal healing). Odds ratios (OR) were calculated and presented with a 95% confidence interval (CI). P -value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
A total of 138 patients ( n = 138 eyes) were included. Patients’ mean age was 42.0 ± 17.8 years, with 120 (87.0%) being of working age (i.e. 16–64 years old) and 74 (53.6%) being male (Table 1 ). No bilateral cases were identified. The mean follow-up duration was 2.9 ± 5.3 months. Of all cases, 64 (46.4%) were microbiological-positive.
The baseline clinical characteristics are presented in Table 1 . The mean duration of symptoms prior to presentation was 3.3 ± 5.8 days. The majority of the patients presented with a CDVA of ≥0.30 logMAR (i.e., 6/12 or better Snellen vision; 59, 42.8%) and an ulcer with small epithelial defect (106, 76.8%), small infiltrate (116, 84.1%), paracentral location (74, 53.6%), and absence of hypopyon (104, 75.4%). When comparing microbiological-positive and microbiological-negative cases, microbiological-positive cases had a worse presenting CDVA, larger epithelial defect and infiltrate, and higher proportion of hypopyon (all p < 0.05; Table 1 ).
Of the 64 microbiological-positive cases, 63 cases were culture-positive (including one case of smear-positive case) and one case was culture-negative but PCR-positive (which identified P. aeruginosa and Abiotrophia defective ). Of all 73 bacteria isolated, P. aeruginosa (36, 49.3%) and Staphylococcus spp . (16, 21.9%) were the most common bacteria (Table 2 ). There were six (4.3%) cases of polymicrobial infection (i.e. infection caused by more than one bacterial species) identified. Gram-positive bacteria demonstrated excellent susceptibility to vancomycin (100%) and aminoglycosides (94.1%–100%), and moderate-to-good susceptibility to penicillin (84.6%) and fluoroquinolones (50%–77.8%). Gram-negative bacteria exhibited excellent susceptibility to aminoglycosides (95.2%–100%) and moderate-to-good susceptibility to fluoroquinolones (75%) and cefuroxime (60.0%; Supplementary Table 1 ).
Details of CL wear, including the types of CL and behavioural risk factors, are detailed in Table 3 . Based on the available information, the most common type of CL was monthly disposable refractive CL (56, 40.6%) followed by daily disposable refractive correcting lenses (30, 21.7%). A small number of cases were related to the use of RGP CL (7, 5.5%), therapeutic/bandage CL (3, 2.4%), and cosmetic CL (1, 0.9%). None of the cases was related to orthokeratology RGP CL. There was a lack of information on the types of CL material as these data were not routinely recorded in medical case notes.
Of the 119 patients with details of CL wear, 68 (57.1%) patients were noted to have at least one behavioural risk factor, including overnight wear (43, 36.1%), contact with water (59, 49.6%) and long duration of CL wear ( > 16 hours/day; 26/95, 27.4%). In addition to CL wear, 41 (29.7%) cases had at least one additional risk factor, including ocular surface disease (32, 23.2%), systemic immunosuppression/diabetes (10, 7.2%), trauma (9, 6.5%), previous corneal graft (5, 3.6%), and concomitant use of topical steroids (5, 3.6 %) .
Full follow-up details were available for 134 (97.1%) patients. The majority (130, 97.0%) of patients were successfully treated with intensive topical antibiotics alone, including levofloxacin / moxifloxacin monotherapy (65, 48.5%) and dual therapy (69, 51.5%), consisting of cefuroxime in combination with amikacin, gentamicin, or levofloxacin. Topical steroids were used in 55 (41.0%) cases, with a mean start time of 11.1 ± 11.6 days after the initial presentation. Topical steroids were used in both microbiological-positive (31, 50%) and microbiological-negative (24, 33.3%) cases for a mean duration of 23.6 ± 20.3 days, after excluding cases that required long-term topical steroid use (e.g. eyes with previous keratoplasty) from the analysis. Hospitalisation for intensive treatment was warranted in 52 (37.7%) patients, with microbiological-positive cases having a greater need and longer duration of hospitalisation (p < 0.01) (Table 1 ). Three (2.2%) patients underwent optical penetrating keratoplasty for treating post-infection corneal scar and one (0.7%) patient required amniotic membrane grafting for managing persistent corneal epithelial defect. Recurrence of infection and corneal melt were noted in 11 (8.2%) and 6 (4.5%) cases, respectively, but were successfully managed with topical antibiotics. No significant adverse event, such as corneal perforation or uncontrollable infection requiring therapeutic keratoplasty or anophthalmic surgery, was noted.
Of the 134 patients, the mean CDVA improved significantly from 0.70 ± 0.76 logMAR at presentation to 0.21 ± 0.40 logMAR at final follow-up ( p < 0.001), with 114 (85.1%) patients achieving an equal or better final CDVA compared to the initial CDVA (Fig. 1 ). The proportion of patients with CDVA of ≥ 0.30 logMAR increased from 42.5% to 80.6% ( p < 0.001). The mean complete corneal healing time was 21.4 ± 15.2 days, with 31 (23.1%) cases having a delayed corneal healing (i.e. > 30 days).
A scatterplot demonstrating the corrected-distance-visual-acuity (CDVA) of CLBK at initial presentation and final follow-up visit. The dotted red line (x = y) represents no change in the visual acuity. The points located below or above the dotted red line represent an improvement or decrease in the final CDVA, respectively, when compared to the initial CDVA.
Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that poor visual outcome was significantly influenced by presenting CDVA < 0.6 logMAR [OR 5.63 (95% CI, 1.85–17.17); p = 0.002] and centrally located ulcer [OR 4.53 (95% CI, 1.62–12.71); p = 0.004] (Table 4 ). Poor corneal healing time was significantly associated with age >50 years [OR 2.85 (95% CI, 1.12–7.25); p = 0.028], female gender [OR 3.08 (95% CI, 1.19–7.94); p = 0.020], and infiltrate >3 mm diameter [OR 3.53 (95% CI, 1.12–11.09); p = 0.031]. Other factors such as eye laterality, presence of hypopyon and positive microbiological results did not significantly affect the visual outcome or corneal healing time (all p > 0.05).
CL wear represents one of the most common risk factors for IK in developed countries, accounting for 30–65% of all IK cases [ 1 , 7 , 8 ]. The incidence of CL-related IK was estimated at 10–130 per 100,000 people-year, highlighting its potential burden on global health and economy [ 1 , 11 , 23 ]. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the largest UK study that had specifically examined the clinical characteristics, risk factors, causes, and outcomes of CLBK over the past decade.
Majority (87%) of our patients were of working adult age, which was similarly observed in other studies (usually ~25–55 years old) [ 1 , 8 , 16 , 24 , 25 ]. Some studies have identified an increase in incidence of CL-related IK in younger patients ( ~ 20–30 years old), potentially related to poorer CL hygiene and use of cosmetic CLs [ 17 , 26 ]. A range of modifiable risk factors have previously reported, including extended wear, overnight wear, contact with water, poor CL storage case hygiene/care, and poor hand hygiene. [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 23 , 24 ] In our study, we noted poor CL wear behaviours/hygiene such as overnight wear, extended wear and contact with water in > 50% of our patients, and this figure may be potentially underestimated due to possible under-recording in clinical notes. Furthermore, the type of CL serves as another significant influencing factor for CL-related IK [ 12 , 18 , 23 ]. Extended wear soft CL has been shown to have the highest risk of CL-related IK, followed by daily soft CL (non-extended wear) and rigid gas-permeable CL [ 15 , 23 , 24 , 27 , 28 ]. Our study showed that monthly disposable CL was the most common type (42.5%) of CL whereas extended wear CL was the least common choice (7.1%). In view of the low number of CLBK cases associated with extended overnight wear CL (despite its inherent higher risk of causing infection), one may infer a reducing trend in the use of extended overnight wear CL in this UK population. While all these risk factors increase the risk of CLBK, we did not observe any significant influence of these risk factors on microbiological positivity.
Majority of our cases were of mild severity (84% with < 3 mm infiltrate), which might be attributed to the early presentation to the hospital (the mean duration of symptoms before presentation was 3.3 days). This has significant clinical implications as visual outcome of IK, including CLBK, is highly dependent on timely diagnosis and treatment [ 8 , 29 ]. The relatively mild severity of infection may also be attributed to the low proportion ( < 10%) of extended wear CL in our cohort. Extended wear CL can increase the retention time and growth of the organisms on the ocular surface, resulting in more severe infection, as opposed to daily replacement of CL [ 24 ]. We also observed that microbiological positivity was correlated with the severity of infection, which was similarly observed in previous studies [ 8 , 30 ]. In contrast, a US study conducted more than a decade ago reported that a considerably higher proportion of CLBK patients presented with more severe infection, with an ulcer > 4 mm in size (46%) and hypopyon (36%) [ 31 ]. The disparity in severity may be related to the difference in the proportion of cases affected by P. aeruginosa (63% in the US study), ocular co-morbidities, and/or time interval between onset of symptoms and presentation to the hospital.
P. aeruginosa (49.3%) and Staphylococcus spp . (21.9%) were shown to be the most common organisms in our study, paralleling the findings of many other studies [ 9 , 16 , 24 , 28 , 31 ]. However, a study conducted in South India identified Serratia spp . as the most common organism for CLBK, whereas a Japanese study reported Staphylococcus epidermidis as the most common causative organism [ 9 , 25 ]. Such heterogeneity highlights the geographical and temporal variations of the disease and the importance of up-to-date regional analysis of the causative organisms (as it may serve as a useful guide for treatment, particularly when the microbiological result is negative).
The majority (97.0%) of our patients were successfully managed with topical antibiotics alone (without systemic antibiotic or surgical intervention), with 80.6% achieving a final CDVA of ≥ 0.30 logMAR. Enzor et al. [ 32 ] reported a slightly higher rate of surgical intervention (14%) for their patients with CLBK. However, they only included cases affected by P. aeruginosa , which is notoriously known to cause severe corneal infection, stromalysis and visual loss [ 9 , 28 , 32 ]. Nonetheless, CLBK has been shown to have a better visual outcome than non-CLBK [ 32 ]. This may be attributed to a younger age, less ocular/systemic comorbidities and earlier presentation of the disease in patients with CLBK (as CL wearers may be more aware/concern of any new ocular symptoms that can interfere with their CL wear). Indeed, when compared to our previous BK study (which included 65% non-CLBK and 35% CLBK) [ 8 ], the mean duration of symptoms prior to presentation was 5.3 days in the previous study (as opposed to 3.3 days in this study), suggesting that CL wearers are more likely to seek earlier medical attention. In addition, 35% of the patients in the previous study had more severe infection at presentation than this study (35% vs. 16% with ulcers of >3 mm infiltrate).
We also observed that poor visual outcome was significantly associated with poorer presenting CDVA and central ulcer. These findings were similarly observed in other CLBK studies conducted in France and the US [ 10 , 32 ], highlighting the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment in CLBK and IK in general [ 16 ]. Furthermore, we found that corneal healing was negatively correlated with increased age and larger infiltrate size. Increased cell senescence in ageing cornea may affect the epithelial adhesion molecules function, phagocytic ability of reactive polymorphonuclear cells, and the innate and/or adaptive immune responses at the ocular surface, resulting in slower eradication of infection and delayed corneal healing [ 33 ]. In addition, older patients generally have multiple ocular/systemic co-morbidities (e.g. ocular surface diseases, diabetes, previous corneal surgeries, etc.), which can contribute to poor wound healing. Interestingly, female gender was associated with poorer corneal healing, which contrasted the findings observed by Das et al. [ 25 ] and Konda et al. [ 27 ]. While sex-specific difference in corneal healing has been shown in mice studies (with female mice corneas having a slower healing rate due to the effect of oestradiol) [ 34 ], this observation has not been supported by other preclinical or human corneal studies [ 35 ]. Our finding may be confounded by other variables (e.g., difference in types and severity of co-morbidities) and requires further elucidation.
While we found that microbiological positivity was associated with more severe infection, it did not influence the visual outcome or the corneal healing time, similarly observed in other studies [ 31 , 36 ]. One plausible explanation is the ability to initiate/administer the optimal antibiotic therapy based on the positive microbiological and susceptibility/resistance results, thereby achieving a similarly good outcome as microbiological-negative cases. In addition, a significantly higher proportion of patients with microbiological-positive CLBK were hospitalised for intensive treatment and monitoring (for a longer duration), which might have contributed to the good clinical recovery and outcomes. Reassuringly, only a few patients required surgical interventions, including amniotic membrane grafting, which has been shown to expedite corneal healing in bacterial keratitis [ 37 ].
One of our study limitations is that we only included cases that had undergone corneal sampling; hence some of the very mild CLBK cases (i.e. small ( < 1 mm), non-sight-threatening ulcer) might not have been captured by this study. However, these very mild cases usually have less impact on the patients and are responsive to topical antibiotics; if not, the affected patients would re-present to our unit for further management (which would include corneal sampling and be included in our study). Another limitation is the inclusion of microbiological-negative CLBK cases. However, all cases were only included after careful analysis of patients’ case notes to confirm eligibility. In addition, microbiological-negative cases represent >50% of all IK cases in the real-world setting in many regions, including the UK [ 5 , 19 ]. Therefore, a good understanding of the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of microbiological-negative cases are invaluable for clinicians and patients. Implementation of molecular diagnostics and next-generation sequencing may potentially ameliorate the low culture yield in the future [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. As this study was not a case-control study, we could not ascertain the relative/absolute risk difference of CLBK among each CL type. It would also be interesting to analyse the impact of CL material on the clinical characteristics of CLBK as it has been shown to influence the severity of infection [ 18 ], though these data were not routinely collected in daily clinical practice. Nonetheless, we observed that 57% of our patients reported poor CL hygiene, and this figure might be underestimated as these risk factors might be under-recorded in medical notes.
In conclusion, CLBK represents as a significant ocular condition that can have a negative impact on patient’s vision, quality of life, healthcare resources, and work productivity (as affected patients are usually of working age). Timely presentation, diagnosis and treatment is key to achieving a good outcome. Poor CL behavioural risk factors are commonly observed among our patients, highlighting the need for improved education and awareness of CL care/hygiene.
Contact lens (CL) wear is a major risk factor for bacterial keratitis.
Poor CL wear behaviour/hygiene increases the risk of CL-related bacterial keratitis (CLBK).
There is no study in the UK that had specifically analysed the risk factors, causes and outcomes of CLBK in the past decade.
This study provides one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date analyses of CLBK in the UK in the past decade.
With prompt diagnosis and treatment, most patients with CLBK can be successfully treated with intensive topical antibiotics alone and achieve a good outcome.
Microbiological positivity is significantly associated with the initial severity of CLBK but has no significant influence on the final visual outcome or corneal healing time.
The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.
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Funding/Support: DSJT acknowledges support from the Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) Clinician Scientist Fellowship, the Medical Research Council / Fight for Sight Clinical Research Fellowship (MR/T001674/1), and the FFS / John Lee, Royal College of Ophthalmologists Primer Fellowship (24CO4).
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Academic Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Lakshmi Suresh, Yasmeen Hammoudeh, Jessica Cairns, Dalia G. Said, Harminder S. Dua & Darren S. J. Ting
Department of Ophthalmology, Western Eye Hospital, London, UK
Charlotte S. Ho
New Cross Eye Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK
Zun Zheng Ong
Department of Ophthalmology, Luton Hospital, Luton, UK
Bhavesh P. Gopal
Department of Ophthalmology, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
Lazar Krstic, Dalia G. Said & Harminder S. Dua
Department of Ophthalmology, King’s Mill Hospital, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation, Sutton-in-Ashfield, UK
Ahmad Elsahn
Department of Microbiology, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
Michelle M. Lister
Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Darren S. J. Ting
Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK
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Study conceptualisation and design: DSJT; Data collection: LS, YH, CSH, ZZO, JC, BPG, LK, AE, MML; Data analysis: LS, DSJT; Data interpretation: LS, DGS, HSD, DSJT; Drafting of initial manuscript: LS, DSJT; Critical revision and approval of final manuscript: All authors; Study supervision: DSJT
Correspondence to Darren S. J. Ting .
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DGS serves as a member of the Eye editorial board. All other authors have competing interests to declare.
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Suresh, L., Hammoudeh, Y., Ho, C.S. et al. Clinical features, risk factors and outcomes of contact lens-related bacterial keratitis in Nottingham, UK: a 7-year study. Eye (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-03323-7
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Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma is a rare and unique subtype of classic angiomyolipoma, characterized by the presence of epithelioid cells. It often presents with nonspecific symptoms and can be easily misdiagnosed due to its similarity to renal cell carcinoma and classic angiomyolipoma in clinical and radiological features. This case report is significant for its demonstration of the challenges in diagnosing epithelioid angiomyolipoma and its emphasis on the importance of accurate differentiation from renal cell carcinoma and classic angiomyolipoma.
A 58-year-old Asian female presented with sudden left flank pain and was initially diagnosed with a malignant renal tumor based on imaging studies. She underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, and postoperative histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of epithelioid angiomyolipoma. The patient recovered well and is currently in good health with regular follow-ups. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges, with a focus on the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features that eventually led to the identification of epithelioid angiomyolipoma.
Epithelioid angiomyolipoma is easily misdiagnosed in clinical work. When dealing with these patients, it is necessary to make a comprehensive diagnosis based on clinical symptoms, imaging manifestations, and pathological characteristics.
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Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) is a special subtype of classic angiomyolipoma (CAML), which comprises vascular (angio-), smooth muscle (-myo-), and adipose (-lipoma) components [ 1 ]. Unlike the classical form, EAML is predominantly characterized by the presence of epithelioid cells [ 2 ].
EAML exhibits nonspecific symptoms, including abdominal pain, abdominal mass, and hematuria, or may be asymptomatic [ 3 ]. Imaging studies typically demonstrate characteristic features due to the presence of adipose tissue. However, a few atypical renal hamartomas might lack detectable adipose components on imaging, leading to misdiagnosis as RCC or CAML. Such EAML presentations often manifest as renal parenchymal masses. Due to the lack of effective diagnostic and differentiation criteria, precise diagnosis of these cases poses a significant challenge for urological clinicians [ 4 ].
In this particular patient, we mistakenly diagnosed a ruptured and bleeding EAML as a malignant renal tumor, resulting in radical nephrectomy. Subsequent postoperative histopathology confirmed the infiltrative growth pattern and low-grade malignant nature of the EAML.
This case report aims to emphasize the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features contributing to EAML and differentiate it from RCC and CAML. Furthermore, we summarize the current worldwide scholars’ comprehensive diagnostic approaches (including imaging modalities and histological assessments) to guide appropriate management decisions and optimize patient outcomes.
The patient, a 58-year-old Asian female, was admitted due to “sudden left flank pain for one day.” The patient experienced sudden and severe pain after squatting, which persisted and was unrelieved. There was no fever, hematuria, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. The patient had not had similar symptoms before. Then, the patient sought medical attention at a local hospital, where an abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a nodular lesion in the lower pole of the left kidney with a high-density subcapsular shadow, suggesting malignant renal tumor with bleeding and left renal vein tumor thrombus formation. The local hospital provided symptomatic treatment including antispasmodic and analgesic treatments. The patient’s symptoms were better than before. Subsequently, the patient was referred to our hospital for further treatment. The patient was transported to our hospital on the same day with the initial diagnosis of ‘“left malignant renal tumor.” Then she was immediately admitted for management. Physical examination indicated stable vital signs, with no abnormalities in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Abdominal and limb examinations showed no peculiarities, but there was positive tenderness in the left renal area. Relevant preoperative investigations showed the following results. Hematology revealed anemia with normal white blood cell count and elevated hypersensitive C-reactive protein. Biochemistry showed reduced potassium, calcium, total protein, and albumin levels, elevated homocysteine and serum amyloid A protein levels, and increased sialic acid. CT scan revealed an occupying lesion in the lower pole of the left kidney, possibly renal cancer, left renal subcapsular hematoma, right renal cyst, and normal renal artery on computed tomography angiography (CTA) (Fig. 1 ). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a lesion in the lower pole of the left kidney with heterogeneous signal, possibly renal cancer with bleeding (Fig. 2 ). Electron capture tomography (ECT) demonstrated reduced left kidney function and normal right kidney function. Combined with the patient’s symptoms and auxiliary examination results, all evidence points to the patient’s diagnosis of renal tumor. The final diagnosis was a “left malignant renal tumor with bleeding and left renal vein tumor thrombus formation and left renal dysfunction.”
Computed tomography angiography findings of the epithelioid angiomyolipoma
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the epithelioid angiomyolipoma
After completing preoperative preparations, the patient underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for renal cancer, with a smooth surgical procedure. We dissected the resected kidney after surgery and clearly saw the tumor and perirenal hemorrhage (Fig. 3 ). Postoperative pathology (Fig. 4 ) revealed “renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma” on the lower pole of the left kidney, presenting as a mass measuring 2.5 × 2.5 × 2 cm. Microscopic examination showed tumor cells with pleomorphic and spindle shapes, displaying cellular atypia, occasional multinucleated giant cells, rare mitotic figures, and acidophilic cytoplasm, and arranged in a sheet-like pattern. The tumor exhibited infiltrative growth with intravascular tumor thrombi, negative resection margins on the renal hilum and the ureter. Immunohistochemistry staining results indicated Ki-67 (5%+), P53 (occasional+), CK7 (−), CD10 (−), P504S (−), CK34βE12 (−), RCC (−), TFE3 (−), CAIX (−), Vim (+), CD34 (endothelial+), E-cad (+), EMA (−), PAX-8 (−), HMB-45 (+), MelanA (+), CAM5.2 (−), and D2-40 (lymphatic vessels+). After surgery, the patient experienced no complications during the postoperative recovery period and was discharged 1 week after surgery. The patient is currently in good health and is regularly followed up with the outpatient department of our hospital.
Postoperative specimen
Histopathological image of the epithelioid angiomyolipoma. A ×4, B ×40
EAML is a unique subtype of angiomyolipoma, characterized by the presence of various cytoplasm-rich, acidophilic epithelioid cells, in addition to mature adipose cells, thick-walled vessels, and smooth muscle-like spindle cells [ 5 ]. EAML is a rare renal epithelial tumor, accounting for less than 1% of all renal epithelial tumors and approximately 7.7% of renal angiomyolipoma [ 6 ]. Previous literature reports indicate that EAML can exhibit invasive growth, recurrence, metastasis and intravascular tumor thrombi [ 7 ], rendering it a potentially malignant tumor with a metastatic rate of about one-third [ 8 ]. In our case, as a potentially malignant tumor, EAML demonstrated its invasiveness into surrounding tissues. When the patient experienced severe lumbar pain, CT results showed a local filling defect in the renal vein, indicating vascular invasion by the tumor. In recent years, due to the lack of typical clinical and radiological features, preoperative accurate diagnosis of EAML is challenging, leading to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Currently, the definitive diagnosis mainly relies on postoperative histopathological examination. Although advances have been made in pathological diagnosis techniques, comprehensive understanding of EAML among clinical practitioners remains lacking. Therefore, we report this patient, which is the first case report on the whole network in which a ruptured and bleeding renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma was misdiagnosed as kidney cancer. We published our diagnosis and treatment process to remind colleagues to pay attention to such cases. Our case report, combined with other studies, will aid in comprehensively summarizing the diagnosis and treatment norms of EAML.
Based on our patient and extensive literature review, we summarize the clinical characteristics of EAML. In the early stages of the disease, EAML often lacks specific clinical symptoms and is usually incidentally detected during physical examinations or follow-up of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) [ 9 ]. As the tumor enlarges, patients may experience localized discomfort due to traction on the renal capsule, presenting clinical symptoms such as lumbar pain, abdominal pain, and abdominal mass. Further progression of the tumor, involving adjacent blood vessels or causing ruptured hemorrhage, can lead to sudden severe pain and hematuria [ 10 ]. When a patient with a renal mass experiences acute bleeding, clinical practitioners should consider EAML in the diagnostic process.
The imaging features of EAML often resemble those of RCC or CAML. The lack or minimal presence of adipose tissue on imaging is one of the important reasons for misdiagnosis [ 11 ]. Previous studies have shown that EAML typically appears as a high-density solid lesion on CT, and its extrarenal growth often leads to changes in the renal contour. Most lesions have a smooth interface with the renal parenchyma, forming the “cup sign” or “split sign” [ 12 ]. The patient’s CT coronal image showed a clear “cup sign.” In MRI images, the solid components of EAML usually present as low signals on T2-weighted images [ 13 ]. One-third of EAML cases may also exhibit malignant behavior on MRI, such as local invasion and distant metastasis. The renal capsule, perirenal fat, and renal vein are the most susceptible tissues to invasion [ 14 ]. The identification of such features on MRI should prompt consideration of EAML in the diagnosis. In recent years, deep learning has introduced many new methods to address various computer vision problems [ 15 ]. Many medical imaging problems have also adopted deep neural network structures, achieving excellent results [ 16 ]. From our perspective, collecting sufficient EAML imaging data and using residual neural networks and dilated convolutions for network training and local prediction may enable the discovery of new features for precise EAML diagnosis that cannot be discerned by the naked eye.
Due to the lack of specific clinical manifestations and radiological features, EAML is often prone to misdiagnosis in clinical practice. Histopathological examination of tumor tissues remains an essential means for confirming the diagnosis. On cytological morphology, Caliò summarized two presentations of EAML under the microscope. One of the presentations is EAML consisting of atypical large acidophilic cells with prominent nuclei, exhibiting a cancer-like appearance. The intranuclear inclusions are often present (neuroblastoma-like appearance) and arranged together. Multinucleated giant cells can resemble the atypical mononuclear cells in the background and may display areas of necrosis. The other presentation comprises epithelioid and enlarged spindle cells, arranged diffusely. Compared with cancerous tumors, these tumors show uniform growth patterns, less cellular atypia, clearer cytoplasm, and intranuclear inclusions [ 17 ]. Additionally, the mesenchymal component of EAML primarily exhibits large acidophilic pleomorphic cells with prominent nucleoli, while the CAML show more bland spindled cells. The presence of atypical mitoses and necrosis also supports the diagnosis of EAML [ 18 ].
With the rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) technologies, researchers have made further progress in understanding the relationship between the disease and molecular biomarkers. Pathway inactivation due to P53 mutations is a key genetic step in many tumor types [ 18 ]. The clinical significance of Ki-67 as a proliferation marker and prognostic indicator has been extensively studied in human tumors [ 19 ]. Li found that EAML commonly exhibits higher expression levels of P53 and Ki-67 compared with CAML [ 20 ], which aligns with the results of this patient. Moreover, studies have shown EAML is related to high expression of MDM2 [ 21 ] and TFE3 [ 22 ]. This research provide new insights into potential molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis and differentiation of EAML.
EAML, as a relatively rare subtype of renal angiomyolipoma, has garnered increasing attention from researchers and clinical practitioners in recent years. However, due to its overlapping clinical features and radiological findings with renal cancer and CAML, EAML is prone to misdiagnosis preoperatively. Although there is currently no standard diagnostic guideline for EAML, with the popularization of diagnostic techniques, continuous accumulation of cases, and rapid development of molecular biology techniques, it is believed that future clinical diagnoses and treatments of EAML will advance to a higher level.
This case underscores the clinical impact of EAML and its potential for misdiagnosis. It draws attention to the need for heightened awareness among clinicians about this rare entity. It is necessary to make a comprehensive diagnosis based on clinical symptoms, imaging manifestations, and pathological characteristics to avoid unnecessary radical surgeries and optimize patient outcomes.
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma
Classic angiomyolipoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Computed tomography
Computed tomography angiography
Magnetic resonance imaging
Electron capture tomography
Tuberous sclerosis complex
Next-generation sequencing
Whole-exome sequencing
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This work was supported by Zhejiang Medical Association Fund Project (award no. 2023ZYC-Z03) and Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration (award no. 2024ZL387).
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Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
Wenhao Zhang, Xiaodong Jin, Shaobo Jiang, Jiasheng Yan & Yubing Li
Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
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Wenhao Zhang: writing—original draft, conceptualization. Xiaodong Jin: visualization. Chundan Wang: formal analysis. Shaobo Jiang: writing—review and editing. Jiasheng Yan: investigation. Yubing Li: conceptualization, supervision.
Correspondence to Yubing Li .
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Zhang, W., Jin, X., Wang, C. et al. Spontaneous rupture and hemorrhage of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma misdiagnosed to renal carcinoma: a case report. J Med Case Reports 18 , 425 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-024-04743-5
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Published : 12 September 2024
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-024-04743-5
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BMC Pediatrics volume 24 , Article number: 582 ( 2024 ) Cite this article
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Antibiotics are widely used in the pediatric population, and their inappropriate use contributes to antibiotic resistance, which is a growing concern in developing countries. Therefore, this national cross-sectional study aimed to assess community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding appropriate antibiotic use and dosing in pediatric patients and to explore the barriers to such use in Palestine.
A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among community pharmacists on the West Bank, Palestine, from September 2022 to March 2023. The survey assessed the pharmacists’ sociodemographic characteristics; knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward antibiotic use; and understanding of antibiotic dosing. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the factors affecting pharmacists’ knowledge were evaluated.
The study included 301 community pharmacists, with an average age of 30.06 years, who were primarily female (75.1%). The majority of the pharmacists (80.1%) correctly believed that antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections. However, 18.3% believed that antibiotics are effective against viruses. While 61.8% knew that antibiotics kill germs, 32.0% were unaware that not all antibiotics require refrigeration. Furthermore, 67.8% were aware that antibiotics do not speed up recovery from diarrhea. Over 99% of the participants recognized that antibiotic resistance developed due to various resistant mechanisms. The majority (78.7%) believed that each infection needed a different antibiotic. Pharmacists demonstrated reasonable knowledge of antibiotic dosing in case scenarios. Knowledge was positively correlated with years of experience ( P = 0.001).
This study revealed that community pharmacy professionals have a good understanding of antibiotic usage in pediatric patients. The findings suggest that professional expertise and quality training improve healthcare services. However, the results may not be universally applicable, as identifying knowledge gaps is necessary to help with the development of focused interventions. Therefore, ongoing educational initiatives, awareness campaigns and antibiotic stewardship programs are recommended.
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Antibiotics are substances that specifically target bacteria, as they can inhibit growth and even kill bacteria; hence, they are intended to treat and prevent bacterial infections [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed medications, especially for childhood illnesses, as in pediatric dentistry [ 4 , 5 ]. However, the major contributors to outpatient visits are acute diarrhea, acute upper or lower respiratory infection, and viral infection with fever, indicating that only a small percentage of pediatric patients (< 20%) need antibiotic therapy [ 6 ]. On the other hand, the most common condition in pediatric patients who require antibiotic prescription is acute otitis media, as reported in the United States and Canada [ 7 , 8 ]. While antibiotics are critical in healthcare, their usage in pediatric care, especially in developing countries, presents unique challenges. According to previous studies, antibiotics are responsible for 27% of medication-related pediatric medical errors and 19% of hazardous errors caused by systemic antibiotic use [ 9 , 10 , 11 ], especially those related to antibiotic dosing [ 5 ]. Antibiotic dosage is determined by taking into account a number of factors, including age, weight, and coexisting disorders [ 12 , 13 ]. Furthermore, the lack of clinical trials on antibiotics for pediatric patients and the lack of new antibiotic pipelines have led to a paucity of high-level evidence [ 14 , 15 ]. Antibiotic resistance has reached an alarming level worldwide, particularly in developing countries [ 16 , 17 ]. The inappropriate use of antibiotics, particularly broad-spectrum antibiotics for these childhood diseases, has contributed largely to the evolution of antibiotic resistance [ 6 ], and this is the most serious problem worldwide [ 18 ]. Cultural, educational, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors are among the numerous factors that contribute to antibiotic resistance. Therefore, the exacerbation of antibiotic resistance must be clearly and deeply known by all members of the health care system, including pharmacists, and a plan must be presented for an effective strategy to improve antibiotic use and the creation of antibiotic supervision programs to prevent further spread of antibiotic resistance.
While many studies on the appropriate use and dosage of antibiotics for children have been undertaken in various regions of the world, relatively few studies have focused on Palestinian community pharmacists to assess this topic [ 5 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. This national study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of community pharmacists on the northern West Bank of Palestine on the appropriate use and dosing of antibiotics for pediatric patients. Overall, this study highlights the importance of increasing awareness campaigns to promote appropriate antibiotic use in pediatric patients. The results of this study may be valuable for policymakers and healthcare providers in developing local guidelines and interventions to improve appropriate antibiotic use.
This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study that was conducted in Palestine from September 11, 2022, to March 27, 2023, targeting pharmacists working in community pharmacies. Participants were approached from 5 different cities, Nablus, Jenin, Tubas, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya, and from their respective villages and camps, which represent northern Palestine. The data were gathered through the use of a well-organized questionnaire distributed online. This online survey was administered via the SurveyMonkey platform and subsequently disseminated across various digital channels, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and email. Due to logistical limitations, we opted for online data collection methods instead of in-person visits to specific districts. Notably, many other studies have also supported the use of a self-administered questionnaire survey method for data collection [ 6 , 25 , 26 ]. Approximately 10–15 min were needed to complete the questionnaire. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of An-Najah National University.
According to a previous study [ 27 ], there were 2350 pharmacists in Nablus, Jenin, Tubas, and Qalqilya. The Daniel formula was used [ 28 ]; n = Z2*P (1-P)/d2, where n = the calculated sample size for populations exceeding 10,000, z = 1.96 (95% CI), d = 0.05 (absolute precision as a margin of error), and P = 0.5 expected prevalence or response distribution. The sample size was 385 participants. However, since our population was less than 10,000 ( N = 2,350), we adjusted this number using the adjusted sample equation; adjusted sample = n/(1 + (n/N)). The sample size needed was approximately 331, considering a 5% margin of error, a response of 50%, and a 95% confidence interval.
A thorough evaluation of relevant surveys was performed to identify potentially relevant questions for the questionnaire utilized in our study [ 5 , 21 , 26 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. A comprehensive review of the questionnaire was performed to validate the questions and ensure that the answers were correct. The questionnaire was subsequently sent to specialists with extensive research experience, including an infectious disease medical doctor, an infectious disease clinical pharmacist, and an academic pharmacy researcher. These experts conducted individual reviews of the questionnaire and made comments and modifications. The initial version of the questionnaire was adjusted based on their recommendations. Minor modifications were also made in the subsequent revisions until the final version was obtained. The infectious disease specialists provided correct answers. Finally, all specialists read the final edit and approved it.
Prior to the release of the survey, a pilot study of ten questionnaires was performed to analyze and clarify the questionnaire items. The questionnaire has four major components:
The first part contains questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, years of working, etc.).
The second part included questions assessing participants’ knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance.
The third part was composed of questions regarding a case scenario for antibiotic dosing and labeling of instructions.
The fourth part concentrates on evaluating the barriers and obstacles to the appropriate prescription and use of antibiotics, as well as the effects of sociodemographic factors on the knowledge of community pharmacists about appropriate antibiotic use in pediatrics.
The study included pharmacists in the northern West Bank (Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Tubas, and their villages and camps), provided that they were registered with Palestine Pharmacists Syndicate and working community pharmacies aged 23 years and older. The study excluded nonworking pharmacists and pharmacists working in pharmaceutical fields other than community pharmacies, such as hospital pharmacies, pharmaceutical factories, and medical representatives.
Data analysis was performed with IBM SPSS version 29. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the data, including frequency and percentage for categorical variables and mean and median for continuous variables. The total knowledge score for antibiotics was calculated and ranged from zero to fifteen, where a score of zero indicated that all questions were answered incorrectly and a score of fifteen indicated that all questions were answered correctly. The pharmacists were then classified as knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable based on their total score. Non-knowledgeable pharmacists were those who answered fewer than eight questions correctly, while knowledgeable pharmacists were those who scored eight or more points. The Mann‒Whitney test was used for binary variables, the Kruskal‒Wallis test was used for variables with more than two groups to analyze the knowledge score, and a p value less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Among the 301 community pharmacists who completed the questionnaire, the average age was 30.06 years, and the vast majority of the pharmacists were females (75.1%). Approximately half of them lived in the city (49.8%). In addition, 87.7% of them graduated from Palestinian universities, and more than half worked as pharmacy employees (67.4%). In addition, most of the participants had less than 5 years of experience (60.8%). All the details can be found in Table 1 .
The pharmacists’ knowledge about antibiotics is shown in Table 2 . The results showed that 18.3% of the pharmacists still believed that antibiotics were effective against viruses. More than half of the pharmacists thought that antibiotics were effective for coughs lasting more than a week, and 61.8% answered that antibiotics were useful for killing germs. Only 67.8% knew that diarrhea did not improve faster with antibiotics.
Antibiotic resistance, according to more than 99% of the pharmacists in our study, occurs when bacteria develop various resistance mechanisms against the effects of antibiotics, and 92.1% of the pharmacists agreed that it can be very difficult to treat the infections they cause.
When azithromycin was used for acute bacterial pharyngitis, 93% of the pharmacists correctly answered that trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole can be used for lower urinary tract infections. For the otitis and sinusitis scenarios, our findings showed that the majority of pharmacists (92.7% and 81.1%, respectively) correctly answered the use of amoxicillin/clavulanate and cefdinir as therapeutic options.
A descriptive analysis of the practices of community pharmacists toward pediatric antibiotics is shown in Table 3 . For example, adaptation to pediatric antibiotic prescriptions was rated as very good for 32.6% of pharmacists and weak for 3.7%. Regarding the recalculation of the dose written by the physician in the prescription of antibiotics for children, 30.6% were excellent, and 4.3% were weak. Furthermore, 34.9% of the patients were excellent, and 5.3% of them were weak in contacting the doctor when an inappropriate regimen (antibiotic dose/frequency is too high or too low) was noted. According to the analysis of the prescription scenario, 78% of the pharmacists gave instructions correctly, and 83% refused to fill prescriptions due to the wrong dosage (Table 4 ).
As noted in Tables 5 and 95.7% of the pharmacists considered themselves responsible for informing and educating parents who requested antibiotics for their children without a prescription and who were probably not in need of antibiotic therapy. Furthermore, 97% of them agreed that the medicine-related counseling of community pharmacists was just as important as the recommendations of the physician. However, there is some variation, where 20.3% of pharmacists dispense antibiotics without prescriptions due to the demands of parents. Furthermore, 80.4% of the pharmacists believed that nonprescription dispensing of antibiotics was a public health risk, and 47.5% of them offered probiotics for patients purchasing prescribed antibiotics.
According to the pharmacists, there were many barriers that could prevent appropriate antibiotic prescription and use, such as parents’ behavior with respect to antibiotic use (91.7%), physician malpractice with respect to prescribing antibiotics (88.7%), and parents’ pressure to prescribe antibiotics (87.3%), as illustrated in Table 6 .
The analysis of sociodemographic factors affecting the knowledge of community pharmacists about antibiotics showed that age, position in the pharmacy, social status, and years of work were independently associated with the knowledge of community pharmacists about antibiotics. Age was positively associated with pharmacist knowledge, as pharmacists aged 45 years and older were more knowledgeable than those under 45 years (P value = 0.013). Additionally, position in the pharmacy had a positive association with pharmacists’ knowledge, and pharmacists who were employees were more knowledgeable than those who were employers (P value = 0.002). Furthermore, years of work experience were positively associated with pharmacist knowledge: pharmacists with 5 years of working experience were more knowledgeable than those with less than 5 years of working experience (P value = 0.001). The details are shown in Table 7 .
The current study revealed that community pharmacists were highly knowledgeable about the appropriate prescription and use of antibiotics (98%). While pharmacists may not serve as prescribers in many countries, knowledge about the appropriate selection of antibiotics is crucial. They play an important role in conducting interventions or providing recommendations to clinicians regarding the appropriate choice of drugs. Several studies have evaluated pharmacists’ beliefs that antibiotics are not effective at treating cold, flu, or cough. In Jordan, 56.1% of pharmacists believed that antibiotics would never treat cold, cough, or flu [ 38 ]; Zakaa El-din et al. reported that 10.4% of the respondents thought that antibiotics are helpful for sore throat and common colds [ 39 ], while in Catalonia, Spain, 34.8% of pharmacists dispensed antibiotics for sore throat complaints [ 40 ]. In our study, 80.1% of the pharmacists were against prescribing antibiotics for these indications. However, 61.8% of the pharmacists responded that antibiotics are effective at killing germs. This could be attributed to the fact that the term “germs” is generally used with antibiotics rather than specific bacteria [ 37 ]. This demonstrates the critical need for pharmacists to be more knowledgeable about antibiotic indications, and they should feel obligated to make patients aware of their misuse and the consequences of their actions.
Almost all the pharmacists (99%) in our study responded that the misuse of antibiotics led to antimicrobial resistance, whereas 79% of those in the Jordanian study [ 38 ] and another Palestinian study (92.1%) reported antimicrobial resistance [ 41 ]. The substantial increase in knowledge could be attributed to the fact that community pharmacists are well educated and have professional skills and training that allow them to provide the best health care services [ 34 ], as well as the fact that many patients seek medical advice directly from community pharmacies because they are faster and less expensive than doctor clinic visits are and because they are considered reliable and easy to contact healthcare providers [ 39 , 42 ].
The level of practice in the current study was assessed by presenting one case scenario and six questions on the practices of community pharmacists in Palestine regarding pediatric antibiotics. Approximately 61.5% of community pharmacists correctly calculated the dose of amoxicillin, compared to 54% in Chicago [ 25 ]. The variability could be attributed to differences in study objectives and study populations (age groups, sample size), in addition to the fact that more than 99.9% of community pharmacies dispense amoxicillin and cephalexin over the counter, so they are familiar with the dosing [ 43 ].
Regarding the evaluation of the practices of community pharmacists in Palestine regarding pediatric antibiotics, 86.4% would consult physicians if they were uncertain about the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription. This finding is in agreement with the results of a study in Senegal (90.2%) [ 44 ] and greater than what was reported in the Jordanian study (53.5%) [ 38 ] as well as the study by Rehman et al. in Pakistan (32%) [ 45 ]. In Palestine, as in some developing countries, patients can obtain antibiotics from pharmacies without a prescription [ 27 , 39 ]. In fact, because some participants do not refer to physicians due to poor physician response, this may reflect the necessity of strengthening interprofessional relationships between healthcare teams, most likely starting with university curricula. Pharmacists and other health care practitioners should collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to minimize antimicrobial irrationality and inappropriate use and hence antimicrobial resistance. Understanding how to develop relationships with caregivers can help change their attitudes and increase the acceptability of pharmacists who interfere with children’s antibiotic prescriptions. Caregivers seeking symptom relief may be more amenable to nonantibiotic options [ 46 ]. With respect to dosing considerations, 85% of the pharmacists recalculated the dose written by the physician before dispensing the antibiotic. Almost 93% of the pharmacists correctly answered the question on utilizing azithromycin for acute bacterial pharyngitis. Similarly, the use of a trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole dosage for treating lower urinary tract infections was identified for 93% of the patients. Our knowledge rates were higher than those reported by Keewan et al. in their study in Jordan [ 5 ], where the largest number of community pharmacists (55.8%) properly answered the case of azithromycin dose in acute bacterial pharyngitis, while 15.7% of the pharmacists correctly answered the dosing of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in lower urinary tract infection. To ensure the accurate dispensing of antibiotics for pediatric patients, double-checking could be implemented.
Approximately 98% of participants agreed that education about antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance should be more prominent during university education years, as concluded by studies in India [ 47 ], Trinidad and Tobago [ 48 ], and East Africa [ 49 ].
In our study, several factors exhibited statistically significant associations with pharmacist knowledge. These factors include younger age, employment status within a community pharmacy, and an accumulation of more than five years of professional experience. A study carried out in the West Bank, Palestine, demonstrated that women and those living in urban areas have higher knowledge scores [ 41 ]. On the other hand, it was discovered that pharmacist education, professional title, and years of experience had an impact on the pharmacist’s understanding of antimicrobial medications [ 50 ]. These findings highlight the importance of customizing antimicrobial stewardship programs to meet pharmacist requirements, taking into account sociodemographic differences. In addition, regarding the years spent working in the pharmacy, this association could be because pharmacists spend much time in the pharmacy, which means more time communicating with patients, prescriptions, and promotional representatives who scientifically explain their medications.
Several community pharmacists have reported barriers that can contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use in pediatrics. Among them, parental behavior and pressure to prescribe antibiotics (91.7% and 87.3%, respectively) were the barriers most frequently reported. This was followed by malpractice in antibiotic prescribing (88.7%). These findings were consistent with a study conducted in Lebanon in which pharmacists first blamed parents (90.1%), second-level physicians (72.8%) and third-level physicians (59.4%) for inappropriate antibiotic use and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance [ 37 ]. Furthermore, in Qatar, patients and practitioners, mainly physicians, play a role in shaping barriers to appropriate antibiotics [ 26 ]. In contrast, unfounded assumptions about the efficacy of antibiotics by health professionals, as well as an exaggeration of parents’ desire for medications, may be the key contributing cause of antibiotic overprescription for the common cold in Korea [ 51 ]. This would support the need for antibiotic stewardship programs and effective behavior change programs that are getting off to a good start to optimize antibiotic prescription.
The strengths of this study include the high number of responses and the scenario design that community pharmacists are more likely to encounter; moreover, the study succeeded in containing clear questions about practices and attitudes toward antibiotic use. This is the first study in the West Bank, Palestine, to discuss antibiotic use and dosing among pediatric patients. However, there are a few limitations. For example, using the cross-sectional design in this study prevented us from interpreting the causality of significant associations. In addition, the current study is based on the real practice of pharmacists with respect to antibiotic use, so the pharmacist might check a reference or consult a colleague when answering the cases, which could lead to an overestimation of pharmacist knowledge. Additionally, the research in question employed an online survey featuring a convenience sample. Consequently, there is potential for bias, as the survey’s reach may be confined to individuals with internet connectivity. Furthermore, the utilization of the convenience-oriented snowball sampling method raises concerns about the representativeness of this study’s findings in relation to the entirety of Palestinian pharmacies. The smaller sample size and the use of online surveys may limit the generalizability of the study’s findings to the entire population of pharmacists in the northern West Bank of Palestine. However, the final sample size remains statistically robust for analysis considering the population size. Further research with a larger sample size and a more representative recruitment strategy could strengthen the generalizability of the results. The final constraint pertains to the study’s design, which adopts a cross-sectional analysis. This design impedes the identification of causation and limits the generalizability of the study’s findings.
This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge possessed by community pharmacy professionals with regard to the correct use of antibiotics by pediatric patients. The investigation revealed that a significant proportion of community pharmacists demonstrated a commendable understanding of the appropriate usage of antibiotics. Furthermore, the outcomes indicated a positive correlation between pharmacists’ knowledge and their years of professional experience and social status. This observation lends support to the proposition that the acquisition of professional expertise and the quality of training contribute to the provision of enhanced healthcare services. The findings derived from this investigation provide valuable insights into the proper use of antibiotics in pediatric care. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the results of this study may not be readily generalizable to a broader population. Consequently, it is advisable to implement ongoing educational programs, including interactive workshops and lectures led by infectious disease specialists, under the coordination and support of the Palestinian Pharmacist Syndicate and awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing the prescription and utilization of antibiotics among community pharmacists. This recommendation is especially pertinent in light of the continuously evolving guidelines and evolving information within this domain.
This study emphasizes the need for continuous educational and awareness efforts to improve the understanding of proper antibiotic use and prescription guidelines among children. Due to the high frequency of mistakes in pharmaceuticals, especially related to dosage, providing effective treatments for children is crucial for reducing this problem and improving patient safety standards. Future research efforts may focus on developing and implementing educational programs specifically designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of community pharmacists in this field. Moreover, there is a significant advantage in educating parents and caregivers on the prudent use of antibiotics and the possible risks associated with prescription inconsistencies. This can be achieved through the use of educational materials, such as brochures distributed in pediatric clinics. In addition, community pharmacists should take the lead in ensuring that parents understand the instructions, risks, and proper use of antibiotics. Furthermore, future research may aim to examine the impact of these treatments on the prescription practices of pharmacists, patient health outcomes, and healthcare costs. In conclusion, the results of this study have the potential to impact policy choices and inspire practical improvements in the quality of care for children while limiting the risk of prescription mistakes.
The data sets supporting the results of the present research are available from the corresponding authors upon request.
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Many thanks to the Clinical Research Centre of An-Najah National University Hospital for constant support and wise advice.
Authors and affiliations.
Department of Infection Prevention and Control, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine
Banan M. Aiesh
Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine
Banan M. Aiesh, Salsabeel Saleh, Nadine Matouk, Marah Labadi, Sanaa Kmail, Zaina Baddad, Amer A. Koni, Samah W. Al-Jabi & Sa’ed H. Zyoud
Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Hematology and Oncology, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine
Amer A. Koni
Poison Control and Drug Information Center (PCDIC), College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine
Sa’ed H. Zyoud
Clinical Research Center, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine
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SS, NM, ML, SK, and ZB performed data collection, reviewed the literature and data analysis and wrote the draft manuscript. SA and AK participated in data analysis and wrote the draft manuscript. SZ and BA conceptualized and designed the study, coordinated, supervised, and analyzed the data, critically reviewed the manuscript to improve intellectual content, and assisted in the final manuscript review. Then, all the authors reviewed and accepted the final manuscript.
Correspondence to Sa’ed H. Zyoud .
Ethics approval and consent to participate.
The present study received approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of An-Najah National University (Ref: Pharm D. Sep. 2022/34). In accordance with the principles of informed consent, the act of survey completion was construed as a manifestation of participants’ consent, given that the survey was distributed via online platforms utilizing a SurveyMonkey ® account. Information concerning voluntary participation and the right to withdraw from the study was provided within the invitation, prominently displayed on the cover page. The cover page additionally elucidated the study’s objectives and provided guidance on how to respond to the survey questions. The data collected during the course of this study were exclusively utilized for research purposes and were diligently safeguarded to ensure anonymity and confidentiality. Participants were not provided with any form of incentive to motivate their survey participation. The IRB of An-Najah National University deemed it appropriate to waive the necessity for written informed consent, as the study was considered to pose minimal risk, and all procedures adhered rigorously to pertinent guidelines and regulations.
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Aiesh, B.M., Saleh, S., Matouk, N. et al. Assessing pediatric antibiotic knowledge and practices among community pharmacists in Palestine: implications for antibiotic use and resistance. BMC Pediatr 24 , 582 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05060-y
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Accepted : 05 September 2024
Published : 14 September 2024
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05060-y
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The patient recovered well and is currently in good health with regular follow-ups. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges, with a focus on the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features that eventually led to the identification of epithelioid angiomyolipoma. Epithelioid angiomyolipoma is easily misdiagnosed in clinical work.
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