title: The organisation and value  of autopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been a considerable reduction in the frequency of autopsies over the past few decades. We wanted to investigate whether doctors consider this a proper and natural development, or whether they consider that autopsies should be given a higher priority, and in such case, how.
  
  
  METHODS
  Resources, organisation and opinions on autopsy practice were registered using a questionnaire sent to all pathology departments at Norwegian hospitals, and to all doctors in the clinical departments of Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway.
  
  
  RESULTS
  392 clinicians replied (percentage of replies 50.3 %). Of these, 82 % considered autopsies to be a good means of quality assurance and quality control of the clinical work. 83 % considered that more autopsies should be performed on a national basis, and 65 % considered autopsies to be just as important today as previously, in spite of technological advances in medicine. However, 80 % of the clinicians attended autopsy demonstrations less than twice a year. The waiting time for autopsy reports was long - 66 days, on average. A majority of clinicians considered that reducing this time would lead to more autopsies being ordered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital doctors still consider autopsy to be a good means to assure the quality of clinical work. A reduction in the time needed to complete an autopsy report and better communication between clinicians and pathologists should be given priority.
authors.affiliation: Section for Pathology, The Gade Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Per Ove
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Hagestuen
authors.forename: Steinar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aase
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001344:Autopsy / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020445:Hospitalists; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009664:Norway; D010337:Pathology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires