Autopsy Rates in Australian Hospitals and Appraisal of the Post‐mortem Examination

Appraisal of autopsy rates at hospitals in Australia and the United States of America reveals that they are generally inadequate. There is need for improvement as evidenced by the high margin of diagnostic error manifested in clinicopathological surveys. The current status of the autopsy (including forensic cases) is far from satisfactory. Improvement must be initiated in medical schools and teaching hospitals by increased specialization and an enlargement of the professional staff of pathology departments in an endeavour to convert the autopsy from a routine service to an investigative procedure utilizing modern techniques and a multiple-speciality team approach. Autopsy rooms are in dire need of trained staff, better equipment and more hygienic procedures, and the introduction of aseptic techniques to prevent spread of infection by staff and hospital personnel is vital. Reorganization would substantially improve education, service and research within teaching departments of pathology and provide better services to the clinical departments. Pathology would be reinstated as a major field in medical science and the remedial changes would assist in recruitment to the currently depleted ranks of academic pathology.