Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jan;468(1):75-81.
doi: 10.1007/s00428-015-1833-5. Epub 2015 Aug 28.

The medical autopsy as quality assurance tool in clinical medicine: dreams and realities

Jan G van den Tweel  1 , Christian Wittekind  2
Affiliations

The medical autopsy as quality assurance tool in clinical medicine: dreams and realities

Jan G van den Tweel et al. Virchows Arch. 2016 Jan.

Abstract

The purpose of medical autopsy has changed to issues of quality assurance today. In addition, autopsies are considered valuable in medical education, e.g., delivering cases for problem-based learning for students. Many studies underscore the need for autopsies also in the era of technical progress emphasizing the continuing discrepancies between antemortem and post mortem diagnoses. Despite these important tasks, we face a decline of autopsy for several reasons with complex interactions. The role of all persons involved in this decline is evaluated and suggestions for changes are proposed. Last but not least, the future of the autopsy is in the hands of pathology itself.

Keywords: Autopsy; Future; History; Quality tool.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Benivieni A (1507) De abditis nonnullis ac mirandis morborum et sanationum causis, Filippo Giunti, Florence
    1. Bonet T (1679) Sepulchretum sive anatomia practica ex cadaveribis morbo denatis. Leonardus Chouet, Geneva
    1. Boerhaave H (1751) Opera Omnia complectentia. Atrocis, nec descripti prius, morbihistoria: 387-404, Venice, Laurentius Basilius
    1. Morgagni GB (1761) De sedibus et causis morborum per anatomen indagatis (Venetiae)
    1. Sedivy R. Rokitansky and the Vienna Medical School–from the philosophy of nature to natural science. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2004;154(19-20):443–453. doi: 10.1007/s10354-004-0103-y. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources