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Autopsy
(Post Mortem Examination, Obduction)

Medical Revising Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, M.D.
Medical Revising Editor: Jay W. Marks, MD
Who Has Access to Autopsy Information

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: Jay W. Marks, MD

Who has access to autopsy information, is it a matter of public record?

Viewer Question: Who has access to the information obtained from an autopsy? Can this information (e.g. about hereditary diseases or conditions that may run in our family) be obtained by third parties?

Doctor's Response: The same rules of doctor-patient confidentiality apply to autopsy examinations as to medical records of living patients. This means that doctors are not allowed to reveal the results of an autopsy examination to third parties without the permission of the next-of-kin of the deceased.

In many medical centers, the autopsy report is first submitted to the physician who treated the patient; the treating physician then shares the findings with the family. The family (next-of-kin) is always entitled to receive a copy of the autopsy report. The hospital is not allowed to give out any information about an autopsy or to respond to inquiries about an autopsy from any third parties. Of course, the family may choose to share the information with anyone they wish, but they must give written permission for the hospital to release autopsy records, just as with any medical records.

What is an autopsy?

An autopsy (also known as a post-mortem examination or obduction) is the examination of the body of a dead person and is performed primarily to determine the cause of death, to identify or characterize the extent of disease states that the person may have had, or to determine whether a particular medical or surgical treatment has been effective. In academic institutions, autopsies sometimes are also requested for teaching and research purposes. Forensic autopsies are autopsies with legal implications and are performed to determine if death was an accident, homicide, suicide, or a natural event. The word autopsy is derived from the Greek word autopsia: "to see with one's own eyes."

Autopsies are performed by pathologists; medical doctors who have received specialty training in the diagnosis of diseases by the examination of body fluids and tissues.

Who determines whether an autopsy is performed?

A physician cannot order an autopsy on a patient without the consent of the next-of-kin. A medical examiner can order an autopsy without the consent of the next-of-kin. Deaths that are investigated by the medical examiner or coroner include all suspicious deaths, and, depending upon the jurisdiction, may include deaths of persons not being treated by a physician for a known medical condition, deaths of those who have been under medical care for less than 24 hours, or deaths that occurred during operations or other medical procedures.

In all other cases, consent must be obtained from the next-of-kin before an autopsy is performed, even at academic institutions or hospitals. The next-of-kin also has the right to limit the scope of the autopsy (for example, excluding the brain from evaluation or limiting the procedure to examination of the abdomen) if he/she wishes.



Next: How is an autopsy performed? »

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