Burton Elizabeth C
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Department of Pathology, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Am J Med Qual. 2002 Mar-Apr;17(2):56-60. doi: 10.1177/106286060201700203.
Forty years ago, the value of autopsies was widely recognized as new diseases were discovered or clarified and scientific technology advanced greatly. Despite the autopsy's strong foundation, its value is not currently being properly conveyed to physicians or patients. Although autopsy-related policy exists, these policies have had little effect on increasing or even maintaining adequate autopsy rates. More recently, the autopsy has fallen on hard times, with US hospital rates now below 5%. The reasons for the decline in rates are multifaceted and include a lack of direct reimbursement for the procedure, lack of defined minimum rate standards, overconfidence in diagnostic technology, and the fear of litigation. Regardless of the reasons for the declining rates, the ethical and professional reasons for increasing the number of autopsies are far more important.
四十年前，随着新疾病的发现或明确以及科学技术的巨大进步，尸检的价值得到了广泛认可。尽管尸检有坚实的基础，但其价值目前并未被恰当地传达给医生或患者。尽管存在与尸检相关的政策，但这些政策在提高甚至维持足够的尸检率方面几乎没有起到作用。最近，尸检陷入了困境，美国医院的尸检率目前已低于5%。尸检率下降的原因是多方面的，包括该程序缺乏直接报销、缺乏明确的最低率标准、对诊断技术过度自信以及对诉讼的恐惧。无论尸检率下降的原因是什么，增加尸检数量的伦理和专业原因都更为重要。
