Dialogue Case Presentation Outline - The American Academy of ...

Dialogue Case Presentation Outline
AADSM members are encouraged to submit a Case Presentation to be considered for publication
in Dialogue. The goal of a case presentation is to highlight a particular point about oral
appliance therapy that will be applicable in the practice of dental sleep medicine. This point
should be made in the context of the information typically made available to sleep dentists by the
referring physician and/or gathered during clinical evaluation.
Not all of the outline points are pertinent to each case presentation but are here to give guidance
when writing a Case Presentation for Dialogue. Case Presentations should be submitted by
email to dialogue@aadsm.org.
Introduction:
Provide concise context of the case.
Explain the relevance and importance of the case.
What are your treatment goals?
Case Description:
History of the chief complaint
History of the present problem
Relevant prior medical history
Relevant medications and allergies
Relevant social and family history
Clinical Findings:
PSG results
Oral findings
Radiographic, imaging findings
Other clinical evaluations: TMJ, etc.
Decision Tree:
Which of the presenting factors were thought germane?
What was the process that led to the treatment decision?
What is the historical solution?
What other options were considered and why were they discarded?
Were there ethical concerns?
Cite published literature that either supports or contraindicates your decisions (thought
processes).
Patient’s Progress and Outcome:
Address the case at hand and not the problem in general.

Summary:
Keep this to 3-5 sentences.
Give a concise summary that addresses the essentials of the case and distils the clinical
data to its essence.
State the clinical lesson to be learned from this case presentation: What is the ‘take home’
message?
Give a critical appraisal of why the case was successful or unsuccessful.
Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terms:
Limit use of abbreviations as much as possible.
Use only widely accepted acronyms.
Spell the full term when it is used for the first time and include the acronym or
abbreviation in parentheses.
Don’t get bogged down in jargon / terminology
General advice:
Make statements as objectively as possible.
Be concise and only include relevant items.
Remember that we also learn from our failures, which help us find unique solutions to
problems.
Use of scientific literature to support clinical decisions is encouraged.
Ethical concerns can include a lack of dental radiographs or copies of films that are poor
and difficult to read, or offering to treat the restorative needs of a patient who has a
dentist of record.
Cases that present patient management problems are as important as clinical management.
For example:
o Does a patient want her money back after developing the perception of OAT
failure?
o Is he demanding a discount?
o Are there cultural concerns?
o Are there handicaps that complicate patient treatment?
o Are their economic restrictions?