alt Hacker News> The articles usually start with a case description followed by “learning points” that include statistics, clinical observations and data from CPSP.
I can see the reason where fictional cases could be used here as teaching aid - based on real cases/ilnesses but simplified to make the learning points succinctly, but surely if the cases are being cited elsewhere someone should have raised the issue earlier?
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ultropolis • yesterday at 5:13 PM
Wouldn't citing actual cases be a HIPAA violation? I can see why they would invent example cases, based on real ones, especially if they are fairly pedestrian cases.
I mean. Except if your pedestrian example does not reflect reality, then that is bad.
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Since it was for teaching I expect the case studies were always showing typical features of real cases, so there's nothing in the case vignette itself to give it away unless the author picks a funny name or something like that.
Rather it would be the entire form of these short highlight articles that would make you keep searching for a proper citation, unless you're lazy or pressed for time.