[The clinical autopsy in the perspective of public health policy]

The autopsy--as the lesson of death--should be an integrated constituent of our affairs of health services. Beside its task for teaching and training as well as the post-autopsy follow-up with families, the autopsy plays a vital role for the quality assessment and the health statistics as the basis for the health care policy. By the introduction of the DRG system (diagnosis related groups), as a lump sum based charging system of inpatients regardless of diagnostic procedures and therapy and the equalization of costs for similar services calculations, should also include the costs of autopsy. The quality assurance is garanteed and independently attained by the autopsy service. Moreover, this is the only way to overcome the danger of abolishing essential diagnostic and therapeutic procedures because of economic pressure. However, the impact of the autopsy service is widely neglected. Therefore, widespread information about this matter in the medical profession, in the general public and in politics is mandatory.