title: The eAutopsy: an effective virtual tool for exposing medical students to the postmortem examination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One reason for declining autopsy numbers is clinicians' lack of familiarity with the practice. We developed an online tool used in place of attending postmortem examinations and aimed to determine if the experience was as effective in affecting medical students' attitudes toward the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The eAutopsy was a part of a unit consisting of a mixture of a didactic lecture, readings, and online discussion board. A class of second-year medical students was randomly distributed between autopsy attendance and the eAutopsy, afterward completing a Likert-type attitudinal survey. Responses were compared with previous students receiving only a lecture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty students attended a "live" autopsy, 90 completed the eAutopsy, and 47 students from the prior year completed the survey. Responses between all three were statistically similar for all but one item. The live and eAutopsy groups would be significantly more comfortable asking for an autopsy in the future. Narrative responses indicated that while the eAutopsy was effective in delivering information, some noticed the lack of emotional impact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two forms of autopsy exposure performed similarly on a Likert-type survey assessing certain attitudes related to the procedure. However, the emotional impact of the live experience may be longer lasting.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, and gtalmon@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Geoffrey A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Talmon
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, and.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czarnecki
authors.affiliation: Midwest Gastrointestinal Associates, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bernal
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D001344:Autopsy; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attitudes; Autopsy; Education; Medical students; Online