AUTOPSY - ROLE OF THE FAMILY PHYSICIAN

The rate of autopsy in the United States has declined from about 50 pe rcent in the 1940s to less than 15 percent today. Although many clinic ians feel that modern technology has made postmortem examinations obso lete, autopsies are still important for ensuring quality, assessing ne w technology and providing new medical information. The primary care p hysician is responsible for requesting autopsies when appropriate and for informing family members of the findings. Conducting a family conf erence is an effective method of reviewing autopsy results.