The eAutopsy: an effective virtual tool for exposing medical students to the postmortem examination

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pathology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Declining autopsy rates are partly due to clinician unfamiliarity with the procedure.
• Medical education needs innovative approaches to maintain autopsy familiarity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an online tool (eAutopsy) in influencing medical students' attitudes towards postmortem examinations.
• To compare the impact of the eAutopsy experience with traditional autopsy attendance on student attitudes.

Main Methods:

• Second-year medical students were randomized into groups attending live autopsies or using the eAutopsy tool.
• Both groups, along with a historical control group, completed a Likert-type attitudinal survey.
• The eAutopsy was integrated into a curriculum including lectures, readings, and online discussions.

Main Results:

• Attitudinal survey responses were statistically similar between live autopsy and eAutopsy groups for most items.
• Both live and eAutopsy participants showed increased comfort in requesting future autopsies compared to controls.
• While informative, the eAutopsy lacked the significant emotional impact of a live postmortem examination.

Conclusions:

• The eAutopsy is a comparable educational tool to live autopsies for improving specific student attitudes towards postmortem examinations.
• Live autopsies may offer a more profound and lasting emotional experience, crucial for understanding the full scope of the procedure.