title: Referral for autopsies: analysis of 651 consecutive deaths in one general practice.
abstract: Autopsies represent a key instrument in educating doctors and may aid quality assurance for primary and secondary care. This study shows that only a few patients have an autopsy, of which the majority are carried out at the request of the coroner for medicolegal reasons. Better education and communication between general practitioners, hospital clinicians, pathologists, and coroners may increase the rate of autopsies.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Governance Research and Development Unit, Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. kk22@le.ac.uk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khunti
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D012189:Retrospective Studies