Jessica A. Koos, MLS, MSEd, AHIP 
Interim Head of the Health Sciences Library 
Health Sciences Library 
Stony Brook University 

This is an update of a review I wrote that was published in the April 2020 issue of Doody’s Collection Development Monthly. You can find the original review here.  

McGraw Hill’s Case Files Collection contains clinical case scenarios presented in the form of short paragraphs, followed by interactive questions (either short answer or multiple choice). The correct answers to each question are then provided, along with detailed explanations about how these answers were determined. Each case contains additional information in sections titled Approach, Clinical Pearls, References, and Comprehension Questions. The Approach section includes background information, definitions, clinical considerations, and tables, if appropriate. Clinical Pearls are succinct takeaways learned from the case. Comprehension Questions are additional interactive follow-up questions. 

This resource is targeted primarily at medical students, residents, and faculty. Medical students and residents can use it as a study guide to enhance and test their knowledge in specific subject areas; faculty can incorporate the cases and questions into curricula, examinations, and more. 

Content 

The content used in Case Files is now derived from 26 Case Files books, whereas the total number was previously 23. Several new editions have been published since my previous review, but the content of the previous and current editions is still available for some of the subjects. The updated versions include Emergency Medicine (2023), Neurology (2023), Family Medicine (2021), Internal Medicine (2021), Obstetrics & Gynecology (2022), Pediatrics (2022), Psychiatry (2021), and Surgery (2022). These specialties tend to be updated more often because of frequent changes in these fields. Other specialties are not updated as regularly, such as Physiology, which has not been updated since 2009.  

One interesting point is that not all of the newer editions are accompanied by new sample cases. For example, while there are new questions accompanying the latest edition of Emergency Medicine, there are not new questions for Neurology. It seems there may be some lag time between when the new editions are published and when the new cases are created. 

Features/Functionality 

The search features and functionality have not changed. Boolean operators besides “AND” are still not supported. All available content is displayed in the search results regardless of format type, but users are able to filter by format. 

Business Model 

This resource continues to be available through an institutional subscription and has not changed since my last review. 

Breakthrough 

McGraw Hill Case Files continues to be an important resource for libraries that are affiliated with medical schools. It can serve as a supplement to students’ actual clinical experiences and provide a more active way of learning content across various subject areas. It can also give students the opportunity to assess for areas in which they may need improvement. Faculty can use the cases to bolster their curriculum content. 

The upgrades are minimal and only apply to certain types of content. Ideally, all new editions of the texts would have coordinating updated questions. However, this may be a work in progress. Overall, this product has not significantly changed since my last review. 

References 

AccessMedicine®, Case Files Collection, All Case Files, [cited 2023 4/5/2023]; Available from: https://casefiles.mhmedical.com/CaseBrowse.aspx#40971