Article Types

Tempo and Frame: Clinical Problem Solving

Tempo and Frame articles are the flagship, clinical problem solving publication type of the Journal. These structured case discussions present clinical information in sequential aliquots, each solved by a blinded expert discussant who works through the reasoning process in real time, solving the case while demonstrating core clinical reasoning topics, such as the problem representation, illness scripts, semantic qualifiers, and hypothesis refinement, along the way.

Required Sections

• Case Presentation— Clinical information presented in aliquot format, with sequential portions of the history, examination, and data revealed progressively to mirror real-time diagnostic reasoning. Each aliquot is then followed by the expert's discussion, incorporating key clinical reasoning principles and the diagnostic thought process on their way to the final diagnosis.
• Discussion — A focused discussion of the final diagnosis, relevant pathophysiology, and connections to the broader medical literature
• Key Teaching Points — Three to five actionable lessons for the reader, drawn directly from the reasoning process

In Reflection: Narrative Medicine

In Reflection pieces are reflective essays that explore the human dimensions of clinical problem-solving. These articles give voice to the experiences that shape us as diagnosticians — the weight of uncertainty, the stories behind the diagnoses, the near-misses that taught us the most, and the relationships between clinician, patient, and the diagnostic process.

First-person perspective is welcome and encouraged. Structure is flexible: the best In Reflection pieces find their own form in service of the story they need to tell.

Spot the Diagnosis: Image Challenge

Spot the Diagnosis challenges are clinical images paired with a structured diagnostic question. They are designed for rapid educational engagement and to develop visual pattern recognition skills essential to clinical practice. Images must be high quality (minimum 300 DPI, JPEG or PNG format) with all patient identifiers removed.

Format

• Clinical Vignette— A brief clinical scenario (150–200 words) providing context for the image
• Image — One high-quality clinical image (radiograph, photograph, pathology slide, ECG, etc.)
• Question— A focused diagnostic question (e.g., “What is the diagnosis?” or “What is the next best step?”)
• Answer & Discussion — The diagnosis with a brief discussion covering key features, differential considerations, and teaching points, including brief explanations about why the other choices are incorrect.

Clinical Reasoning Corner

Clinical Reasoning Corner features shorter case vignettes presented in a more relaxed, accessible style. The focus is on the discussion section, which highlights the core aspects of clinical reasoning related to the case — such as anchoring bias, premature closure, availability heuristic, problem representation, or schema activation. These pieces are designed to be practical and immediately applicable to everyday clinical practice.

Coming Soon

We are planning to expand our article types in future issues. We also welcome proposals for other formats with a focus on clinical reasoning for editorial review. If you have ideas for article types that would serve the clinical reasoning community, we welcome your input at journal@clinicalproblemsolving.com.

Please note: At this time, the Journal is not accepting external submissions from outside The Clinical Problem Solvers community. We plan to open submissions to external authors in the future.