More necropsies will improve patient care: has the case been made?

When I attend a necropsy and discover that the patient had a disease I did not suspect, I learn something and, hopefully, am smarter next time. If the necropsy confirms my clinical diagnosis, not only is this useful in itself but to see, say, a large embolus in the pulmonary artery helps me to understand the disease process much better than any amount of imaging. Similar views are expressed in the correspondence columns of journals whenever necropsies are discussed. Receiving a necropsy report may be informative, but it is never as useful as seeing with one’s own eyes. Not only do necropsies educate the individual clinician, but a high necropsy rate will help to ensure that statistics from institutions and nations are more accurate. Furthermore, as shown in the paper by Shojania et al1 published in this issue of QSHC, it may significantly alter the sensitivity and specificity of established diagnostic pathways. Necropsies may be educational …