title: Why are autopsy rates low in Japan? Views of ordinary citizens and doctors in the case of unexpected patient death and medical error.
abstract: This article examines what could account for the low autopsy rate in Japan based on the findings from an anonymous, self-administered, structured questionnaire that was given to a sample population of the general public and physicians in Japan. The general public and physicians indicated that autopsy may not be carried out because: (1) conducting an autopsy might result in the accusation that patient death was caused by a medical error even when there was no error (50.4% vs. 13.1%, respectively), (2) suggesting an autopsy makes the families suspicious of a medical error even when there was none (61.0% vs. 19.1%, respectively), (3) families do not want the body to be damaged by autopsy (81.6% vs. 87.3%, respectively), and (4) families do not want to make the patient suffer any more in addition to what he/she has already endured (61.8% vs. 87.1%, respectively).
authors.affiliation: Keio University, Graduate School of Health Management, Japan. sho-ichi@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kamishiraki
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Starkey
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003645:Death, Sudden; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011639:Public Opinion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult