As medical writers, when clients ask for “case studies”, this doesn’t always mean an academic case report. They may want a clear, credible story that helps someone understand a challenge, see impact, or connect data with real-world experience.
This guide is written for medical writers who want to add case studies to their services or feel more confident delivering them for clients across pharma, medtech, digital health, and health communications. It’s grounded in real client work, from patient narratives and case series, to real-world evidence and hybrid formats, and focused on how the work actually happens.
We’ll walk through what clients really mean when they ask for a medical case study, how this format differs from academic case reports, and how to structure and write case studies that are clear, compliant, and genuinely useful. Along the way, I’ll share practical tips, common pitfalls to avoid, and examples that reflect the kinds of briefs medical writers see every day.
What Do Clients Mean by a “Medical Case Study”?
If you search for how to write a medical case study, most of what you’ll find is written for clinicians preparing case reports for academic journals. That guidance has its place, but it often isn’t what we, as freelance medical writers, are being asked to deliver.
In client work, a medical case study usually means a real-world story, grounded in evidence, that helps a specific audience understand complexity, see impact, or connect the dots between data and lived experience.
For example, that might look like:
- A patient narrative that helps potential trial participants understand what taking part might actually feel like. For example, one patient narrative I’ve written draws on my own experience of living with coeliac disease. It wasn’t written to report something rare or novel, but to help others understand what day-to-day life with the condition actually looks like — something a traditional case report would never aim to do.
- A series of clinical cases used to support learning in a specialist area. For example, in wound care, presenting a series of real patient cases can be far more useful than a single example, especially when the aim is to show how an intervention performs across different settings and patient needs.
- A real-world evidence case study that shows how outcomes translate beyond controlled trial settings, such as the Salford Lung Study, which was commissioned by GSK.
- A hybrid case study combining narrative and evidence, where patient voice or qualitative insight sits alongside outcomes data or broader context. This approach is common in health communications and patient-engagement work, and mirrors established formats such as the patient perspective sections used by journals like BMJ, blending lived experience with clinical credibility.
Case report vs medical case study: what’s the difference?
The table below breaks down the key differences from a medical writer’s perspective, so you can quickly see which approach fits the brief in front of you :
| Case report | Medical case study | |
| Primary purpose | To contribute to clinical knowledge and literature | To educate, inform, or engage a specific audience |
| Who commissions it | Academic journals or research-led clinicians | Clients such as pharma companies, medtech firms, or agencies |
| Intended audience | Clinicians and researchers | HCPs, patients, payers, or other stakeholders |
| Structure and format | Highly structured and methodology-led | Flexible and adapted to the client’s goals |
| What the focus is on | Novelty, rarity, or clinical learning | Clarity, relevance, and real-world application |
| How it’s used | Journal publication (a concrete example here) | Educational materials, awareness content, or evidence support |
| Writing approach | Formal, academic and cautious | Clear, accessible and audience-led |
Common client goals for medical case studies
Most client-commissioned case studies are designed to do one (or more) of the following:
- Education
Helping HCPs, patients, or internal teams better understand a condition, intervention, or approach. - Awareness
Bringing attention to an unmet need, lived experience, or emerging issue. - Evidence support
Putting real-world outcomes into context alongside studies, reports, or datasets. - Storytelling with data
Giving data meaning by anchoring it in human experience.
Getting clear on which of these goals matters most is an important first step. It shapes the structure, tone, and level of detail, and makes it much easier for us to write a medical case study that genuinely supports a client’s objectives.
When Clients Use Medical Case Studies (and Why They Work)
Once we’re clear on what a medical case study is, the next question is when this format actually makes sense for a client.
In healthcare, case studies work particularly well because they allow us to add context, meaning, and lived experience to information that might otherwise feel abstract or difficult to engage with. They help audiences see how something works in practice.
Why medical case studies are such a powerful format
At their best, medical case studies:
- Turn complex data into something more understandable
- Show real-world application, not just outcomes
- Support learning and reflection, rather than persuasion
- Help audiences connect evidence with experience
They’re especially useful when we need to slow things down and explain the why and how, not just the what.
Situations where case studies add the most value
I often recommend a case study format when a client is dealing with:
- Complex data that needs context
For example, when outcomes, pathways, or interventions need explanation to be meaningful. - Behaviour change or engagement
Case studies can help audiences see themselves in a situation, which is particularly valuable in education and patient-facing work. - Demonstrating real-world impact
Especially when trial data, reports, or metrics benefit from being grounded in practice.
Industries and use cases where case studies work especially well
From experience, case studies tend to be particularly effective across:
- Pharma
Supporting education, contextualising evidence, or illustrating real-world use. - Medtech
Showing how a product or solution fits into clinical workflows. - Digital health
Demonstrating adoption, usability, and impact in real settings. - Patient engagement
Sharing lived experience in a way that feels respectful, ethical, and useful.
Understanding why a client wants a case study, and who it’s for, makes it much easier to decide whether this is the right format, and how to approach it as a writer.
A Practical Medical Case Study Format for Writers
One of the most common questions I hear is: “Is there a standard medical case study format?” In reality, there isn’t a single template that works for every brief, but there is a flexible structure that we can adapt for most client projects.
This approach works whether we’re writing for pharma, medtech, digital health, or patient engagement, and it gives us enough structure to stay credible without feeling constrained.
A flexible structure you can adapt for most clients
Most effective medical case studies follow a simple, logical flow:
- Background: Set the scene. This might include the patient population, clinical setting, organisation, or context — and, crucially, why this case matters.
- Clinical or strategic challenge: What problem needed solving? This could be a diagnostic challenge, an unmet clinical need, a service gap, or a communication issue.
- Intervention or solution: Describe what was done and why. This might be a treatment, tool, programme, process, or approach, depending on the brief.
- Results and outcomes: Share what happened next. Include outcomes, observations, or metrics where appropriate — always being specific and evidence-led.
This structure is deliberately simple. It helps us focus on clarity and purpose, rather than overloading the piece with unnecessary detail.
Why this structure works
There’s a reason this format shows up again and again in good healthcare content:
- It’s familiar to clinical audiences
The flow mirrors how clinicians think through cases, which helps build trust and credibility. - It’s clear for non-clinical stakeholders
The narrative is easy to follow, even for readers without a clinical background. - It’s easy to adapt across formats and channels
The same core structure can be repurposed for websites, slide decks, internal comms, training materials, or longer-form reports.
Once we have this framework in place, it becomes much easier to tailor tone, depth, and emphasis to suit the audience, without reinventing the wheel every time.
How Case Studies Differ by Audience and Use Case
Once we have a solid structure in place, the biggest shift in how a medical case study comes together is who it’s for and what it’s meant to do.
This is where many writers (and clients) trip up. The same format can work across projects, but the emphasis, tone, and level of detail should change depending on the audience and use case.
Pharma case studies
Pharma-focused case studies tend to lean heavily on evidence, outcomes, and credibility.
In these projects, we’re often:
- Working alongside clinical trial data or real-world evidence
- Writing for HCPs, payers, regulators, or internal medical teams
- Supporting education, access, or scientific understanding rather than promotion
The tone needs to be measured and cautious, with:
- Clearly substantiated claims
- Transparent limitations
- Careful language that avoids over-interpretation
Case studies in this space often work best when they add context to existing data, rather than trying to stand alone as proof.
Medtech and digital health case studies
For medtech and digital health, the focus often shifts from pure outcomes to how something fits into real-world practice.
Here, case studies commonly explore:
- How a product or intervention is used in practice
- Impact on clinical workflows, time, or decision-making
- Practical challenges and lessons learned
These case studies are especially useful for:
- Showing usability and adoption
- Helping stakeholders visualise implementation
- Supporting procurement or internal buy-in
Clarity is key. We still need to be evidence-led, but the story often lives in the details of use, not just the headline results.
Patient narratives and engagement case studies
Patient-centred case studies are a different proposition altogether. Their strength lies in lived experience.
These are typically used for:
- Awareness and education
- Engagement or recruitment
- Advocacy and patient-centred communications
When writing patient narratives, accessibility matters. That means:
- Clear, plain language
- Minimal jargon (with explanations where needed)
- A respectful, non-sensational tone
- Ethical considerations are central here. We need to ensure:
- Informed consent
- Proper de-identification
- Honest representation of experience, including challenges and uncertainty
These stories work best when they help readers feel informed and understood.
Understanding these differences helps us decide what to emphasise, what to leave out, and how to frame the story. It also makes it much easier to push back (gently) when a client asks for something that doesn’t quite fit the audience they’re trying to reach.
Real-World Medical Case Study Examples
Seeing how different formats work in practice can make all of this much easier to grasp. Across my own work, I’ve supported a range of medical case studies, each designed with a different goal and audience in mind:
1. Patient narrative: living with coeliac disease
Designed to build understanding and awareness through lived experience, using an accessible, reflective tone rather than clinical language. I also saw this in practice in patient narratives developed to support teenage participants in a depression clinical trial, where the goal was to help potential participants understand what taking part might feel like in real life.
2. Case study series in wound care
Created to support HCP education by showing how similar clinical challenges present and are managed across multiple real cases, with a structured, evidence-led approach.
3. Real-world evidence: the Salford Lung Study
A landmark example of how real-world data can be used to demonstrate effectiveness and safety in everyday clinical practice, supporting education and decision-making beyond controlled trials.
4. Hybrid format (narrative + evidence)
A good published example of this hybrid approach is the Patient perspective format used by journals such as BMJ, where a clinical case and its outcomes are presented alongside a patient’s own account of their experience.
What these examples have in common is intent. In each case, the structure, tone, and level of detail shifted to suit the audience and the outcome the case study was meant to support.
👉 If you’d like to explore these formats in more detail, I’ve shared a full breakdown of medical case study examples and when to use them in a separate post: Medical Case Study Examples: How and When to Use Them in Pharma and Health Content.
How to Write a Medical Case Study as a Freelancer
As freelancers, we’re often brought in partway through a project, with mixed source material, tight timelines, and multiple stakeholders. Having a clear, repeatable process makes the work smoother for everyone involved and helps protect quality, credibility, and sanity.
Over time, I’ve found that breaking case study work into clear stages keeps projects focused and collaborative. Here’s my own process:
1. Discovery and defining the “so what”
Every case study starts with a conversation. Before I write a single word, I need to understand:
- Who the case study is for
- What the client wants it to achieve
- Why this particular case matters
This is where we define the “so what”. Without it, even an interesting case can turn into a description of events rather than a meaningful story.
2. Source material review
Next, I take stock of what’s already available. This might include:
- Clinical notes or summaries
- Trial data or reports
- Slide decks, internal documents, or previous content
At this stage, our role is to spot gaps, patterns, and priorities, and to flag early if something doesn’t quite support the intended message.
3. Interviews and stakeholder input
Depending on the project, I may need input from:
- Clinicians or investigators
- Patients or trial participants
- Internal medical, comms, or product teams
Interviews help bring nuance and clarity that rarely comes through in written materials alone. They’re also an opportunity to sense-check assumptions and make sure we’re telling the right story, in the right way.
4. Drafting, review, and refinement
Once the structure is clear, I move into drafting. This is where I:
- Shape the narrative around the agreed goal
- Balance evidence with readability
- Keep tone, claims, and compliance front of mind
Review cycles are a normal part of case study work. Building time for thoughtful feedback and being clear about what can and can’t change helps keep the process constructive.
What to Do When Information Is Missing or Messy
At some point, almost every medical case study project involves incomplete, unclear, or inconsistent information. Handling gaps well is one of the things that separates a confident medical writer from someone who’s just filling in blanks.
Asking better questions
When information is missing, our first job is to ask the right questions.
That might include:
- What do we actually know versus what’s being assumed?
- Which details are essential for the audience to understand the case?
- Are there data points that support the key message, or do we need more context?
Framing questions around the client’s goal (“What does the reader need to take away from this?”) often makes these conversations easier and more productive.
Making gaps visible without overstepping
Sometimes the answer is simply that the information doesn’t exist (and that’s okay). The key is to be transparent without being alarmist.
We can do this by:
- Acknowledging limitations or uncertainty where appropriate
- Avoiding speculation or over-interpretation
- Using careful language that reflects what the data can (and can’t) support
This is especially important in regulated environments, where overstating conclusions can quickly undermine trust.
Protecting credibility
Credibility is one of the most valuable things we bring to a case study project. Protecting it means:
- Being clear about the strength of the evidence
- Resisting pressure to “fill the gaps” creatively
- Making sure claims are proportionate and defensible
In practice, this often involves gentle pushback: explaining why a certain point can’t be made, or suggesting an alternative way to frame the story that’s still compelling, but accurate.
Handled well, these moments build trust. Clients may not always have perfect information, but they do value writers who help them communicate responsibly and clearly.
Tone, Language, and Compliance: Practical Tips for Writers
For many writers, compliance is the part of case study work that feels the most daunting. But in practice, it’s less about memorising rules and more about good judgement, clear writing, and honesty about what the evidence shows.
Balancing accessibility with credibility
A medical case study should be easy to follow, but never simplistic. The goal is to make complex information understandable without dumbing it down.
In practice, that means:
- Writing for the audience in front of us, not for “everyone”
- Keeping sentences clear and focused
- Letting the evidence do the heavy lifting, rather than persuasive language
If a case study genuinely needs to reach very different audiences, that’s often a sign it should be adapted into multiple versions instead of being forced into one.
Defining technical terms clearly
We don’t need to avoid technical language altogether, we just need to introduce it thoughtfully.
A simple rule of thumb:
- Define technical terms on first use
- Avoid stacking jargon in the same sentence
- Use plain language explanations where possible
This helps non-specialist readers stay engaged, while still respecting clinical accuracy.
Avoiding promotional language
One of the easiest ways to undermine a case study is to make it sound like marketing copy.
We can usually spot this by watching for:
- Superlatives (“best”, “breakthrough”, “game-changing”)
- Vague claims without evidence
- Overly positive framing that ignores limitations
A case study should feel informative and grounded, not persuasive. If the value is real, it will come through without being spelled out.
De-identifying and ethical considerations
When real people are involved, ethics matter.
At a minimum, we need to:
- Remove or obscure identifying details
- Avoid unnecessary specifics that could reveal identity
- Ensure informed consent has been obtained where required
For patient narratives in particular, it’s important to respect boundaries and present experiences honestly, without exaggeration or emotional manipulation.
Substantiating claims with data
Every meaningful claim in a medical case study should be supported by something concrete, such as data, an observation, or a clearly stated context.
That might mean:
- Being specific about outcomes rather than vague
- Clarifying the size or limits of the dataset
- Acknowledging uncertainty where it exists
Being precise builds trust. It also protects both us and our clients from unintended misinterpretation.
Starting with the main message (even if you don’t write it first)
Before you draft, be clear on the one thing the reader should remember.
Ask yourself:
- If someone skimmed this case study in two minutes, what should stick?
- What do we want them to think, feel, or understand differently afterwards?
You don’t need to open the piece with this message, but you do need to write with it in mind. If a paragraph doesn’t support that core message, it probably doesn’t belong.
Keeping sentences and paragraphs doing one job at a time
Clear writing is especially important in healthcare, where readers may be stressed, busy, or unfamiliar with the topic.
A few simple checks help:
- Aim for one idea per sentence
- Keep sentences short where possible
- Limit paragraphs to a single point
Top tip: If a sentence feels hard to read out loud, it’s usually doing too much.
Three Common Mistakes Medical Writers Make with Case Studies
The most common mistakes I see writers making are:
1.Missing the “so what”
This is the most common sticking point.
A case study shouldn’t exist in isolation. If it isn’t clear why this case matters, it can easily turn into a description of events rather than a meaningful piece of communication.
This usually comes back to asking better questions at the start. We need to be clear on:
- What this case contributes to the bigger picture
- How it supports the client’s goals — whether that’s education, engagement, awareness, or evidence
- What the reader should walk away understanding
If the “so what” feels fuzzy, that’s often a sign it’s worth pausing and revisiting the brief before writing any further.
2. Overcomplicating the story or being vague
It’s very easy to slip into writing that feels more complicated than it needs to be — especially when we want to demonstrate expertise.
This can show up as:
- Dense technical language that isn’t clearly explained
- Long sentences that try to do too much
- Vagueness that avoids committing to specifics
Clear writing isn’t about oversimplifying. It’s about helping the reader follow the story without effort. In fact, clarity is often what builds the most trust.
A helpful sense-check is to ask: Would this make sense to someone slightly outside the immediate speciality?
3. Ignoring challenges or limitations
When a case study feels too neat, readers notice. Real-world cases almost always involve uncertainty, trade-offs, or practical constraints. Skipping over these can:
- Undermine credibility
- Make the story feel overly polished
- Create problems in regulated or compliance-sensitive settings
Acknowledging challenges shows honesty and helps set outcomes in the right context. Often, it’s these nuances that make a case study genuinely useful to the reader.
Final Thoughts: Writing Medical Case Studies with Confidence
At its core, writing a medical case study about making sense of real-world information for a specific audience, in a way that’s clear, credible, and useful.
If you’re ever unsure how to write a medical case study for a client, come back to these practical principles:
- Clarify what kind of case study you’re writing
Be clear on whether this is for education, awareness, evidence support, or engagement, and who it’s really for. That decision will shape the tone, structure, and level of detail more than anything else. - Use structure to guide the story
A simple framework (background, challenge, intervention, outcomes, takeaways) works across most briefs and makes complex information easier to follow. - Lead with the “so what”
Every case study should answer one quiet question: why does this matter? If the takeaway isn’t clear, the writing will feel flat — no matter how strong the data. - Let clarity do the heavy lifting
Clear language, defined terms, and proportionate claims build more trust than dense or impressive-sounding writing. - Treat challenges and limitations as part of the story
Real-world cases are rarely perfect. Acknowledging uncertainty strengthens credibility and makes the case study more useful.
When you approach case studies this way, they start becoming what clients actually need: practical, grounded stories that help people understand and apply information in the real world.
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Medical Case Study FAQs: My Practical Answers for Medical Writers
How do you structure a medical case study?
I recommend starting with a simple, flexible structure that you can adapt to most client briefs:
- Background – who or what the case is about, and why it matters
- Clinical or strategic challenge – the problem that needed addressing
- Intervention or solution – what was done, and why
- Results and outcomes – what happened next, using data or observations where appropriate
- Key takeaways or implications – the “so what” for the reader
This structure mirrors how clinicians think through cases, while still being accessible for non-clinical audiences. From there, you can adjust depth, tone, and emphasis depending on whether you’re writing for HCPs, patients, or stakeholders.
What is the format for a case study?
There isn’t a single fixed format. In client work, the format should follow the goal and audience. A pharma case study may lean heavily on outcomes and evidence, while a patient engagement case study may prioritise narrative and accessibility. Many projects sit somewhere in between, using a hybrid format that blends story with data.
Think of format as a framework, not a template. The structure gives you stability; the content flexes around it.
What are the 5 essential elements of a great case study?
Regardless of audience or industry, strong medical case studies usually have five things in common:
- A clear purpose – it’s obvious why this case exists
- A defined audience – the language and focus match the reader
- A coherent story – events are connected, not just listed
- Credible evidence – data, observations, or rationale support the narrative
- A clear takeaway – the reader understands why this case matters
If any one of these is missing, the case study can feel flat or confusing, even if the writing itself is technically sound.
How do you start writing a case study?
Before you write anything, I’d always suggest starting with questions rather than sentences.
At a minimum, be clear on:
- Who this case study is for
- What the client wants it to achieve
- Why this particular case matters
Once the “so what” is clear, writing becomes much easier. Without it, it’s very easy to drift into describing events without shaping them into a meaningful story.
