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Abstract:
This report reviews the effects of decreased utilization of autopsy (less than 15% in 1985) on medical education and research, quality assurance programs, insurance claims processing, and cost containment. Recommendations to promote change include the innovative integration of postmortem examinations with new technology for education and research and the promotion of standards of accreditation of programs that include autopsy for graduate and undergraduate medical education. The use of autopsy to assess technological methods of diagnosis seems to be a reasonable expectation. Methods of reimbursement to validate autopsy as a medical act should be sought, and voluntary and government regulation to assure the role of autopsy in quality assurance programs is suggested.