title: Format preferences of district attorneys for post-mortem medical imaging reports: understandability, cost effectiveness, and suitability for the courtroom: a questionnaire based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to explore the perception of the legal authorities regarding different report types and visualization techniques for post-mortem radiological findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A standardized digital questionnaire was developed and the district attorneys in the catchment area of the affiliated Forensic Institute were requested to evaluate four different types of forensic imaging reports based on four cases examples. Each case was described in four different report types (short written report only, gray-scale CT image with figure caption, color-coded CT image with figure caption, 3D-reconstruction with figure caption). The survey participants were asked to evaluate those types of reports regarding understandability, cost effectiveness and overall appropriateness for the courtroom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D reconstructions and color-coded CT images accompanied by written report were preferred regarding understandability and cost/effectiveness. 3D reconstructions of the forensic findings reviewed as most adequate for court.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. garyfalia.ampanozi@virtopsy.com
authors.forename: Garyfalia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ampanozi
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ruder
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thali
authors.forename: Lars C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ebert
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D032882:Comprehension; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires