Autopsy (cont.)
What are the benefits of autopsies?
Benefits for families: For families, the autopsy has
both tangible and psychological benefits. Uncertainty regarding the cause of an individual's death
can delay payment of insurance benefits. The autopsy can also uncover genetic or
environmental (for example, a bacterium or fungus) causes of disease that could
affect other family members. Psychologically, the autopsy provides closure by
identifying or confirming the cause of death. The autopsy can demonstrate to the
family that the care provided was appropriate, thereby alleviating guilt among
family members and offering reassurance regarding the quality of medical care.
Lastly, the autopsy is a mechanism that enables the family to participate in
medical education and research.
Benefits for the clinician and hospital: The procedure can confirm the
accuracy of the clinical diagnoses and the appropriateness of medical care. The
autopsy findings can be utilized to educate physicians, nurses, residents, and
students, thereby contributing to an improved quality of care.
Benefits to society: Many of the benefits of the autopsy
are experienced by society as a whole. The autopsy aids in the evaluation of new
diagnostic tests, the assessment of new therapeutic interventions (drugs, devices, surgical
techniques), and the investigation of environmental and occupational diseases.
Autopsy data are useful in establishing valid mortality statistics. Data derived
from death certificates in the absence of autopsy data have repeatedly been
shown to be inaccurate. New medical knowledge on existing diseases that is
derived from autopsy-based research is clearly important for everyone.
Remarkably, new diseases continue to emerge which can only be fully investigated
by autopsy.
Next: Who pays for autopsies? »
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