Making the case for more necropsies to improve patient care
- Monash University, Department of Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 57–83 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Australia
- Correspondence to: M A Bohensky State Coroner’s Office, 57–83 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Australia 3006;meganb{at}vifm.org
In their recent study Shojania et al1 highlight the importance of necropsy to clinical care by demonstrating how diagnostic sensitivity for three conditions is overestimated without necropsy results. This study prompted an editorial by Guly calling for more research to show that increasing necropsy rates can improve patient care.2
Clearly, the evidence establishing the value of necropsy for identifying diagnostic and management issues relevant to patient care3 is not preventing the international decline in the number of hospital necropsies. We therefore support Guly’s petition for more evidence and describe …
