Death of the teaching autopsy: Autopsy findings are important to all clinicians, including general practitioners

BackgroundDespite public inquiries, and some changes to legislation following high-profile multiple homicides that were not detected by autopsy, coroners continue to rely largely on the autopsy. Regardless of the extent of quality failings and excess deaths at some hospitals, not detected through the coroner system, the autopsy is scarcely used by hospitals to monitor standards and educate.ObjectiveTo explore when a compulsory medicolegal autopsy should, and should not, be used.MethodTwo hundred and thirty-six cases referred to a senior coroner were evaluated by pathologists with long experience of forensic, coronial and hospital autopsies, using detailed antecedent medical and circumstantial information: after their advice, the senior coroner decided what kind of autopsy provided sufficient information for his purposes.ResultsIn nearly 40% (n=88) of deaths where the senior coroner accepted jurisdiction, issues raised could be resolved through analysis of medical records and antecedent information, supplemented only by detailed external examination of the body.ConclusionsTimely provision of sufficient information allows informed decisions about the requirement for, and nature and extent of, medical investigations into a death: unnecessary post mortem dissection is avoided, protecting the rights, under Articles 8 and 9 of the Human Rights Act 1998, of the bereaved to privacy, family life and religious practice. Although improvements in healthcare can undoubtedly result from detailed coroners’ inquiries, those deaths where the matters investigated relate only to the accuracy of a natural cause of death or sit with a healthcare provider’s internal quality assurance, should be investigated by the healthcare system in collaboration with the bereaved.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

hi@scite.ai

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Death of the teaching autopsy: Autopsy findings are important to all clinicians, including general practitioners

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Intérêts de l’autopsie hospitalière illustrés par la casuistique

Intérêts de l’autopsie hospitalière illustrés par la casuistique

How can we ensure that the coroner’s autopsy is not an invasion of human rights?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About