The autopsy in clinical quality control
A. G. Scottolini and S. R. Weinstein
The postmortem examination, despite declining rates, remains the final word
in diagnostic quality control and a major tool in research and education.
In 100 autopsies studied at our institution, it was found that 13% of major
clinical diagnoses were not confirmed, and in 24% the cause of death was
not in the clinical diagnoses. These figures demonstrate a higher clinical
diagnostic accuracy rate than in previous studies, and the possible reasons
for this are discussed. The length of hospital stay is not found to have
any bearing on diagnostic accuracy.
