Supporting the Deceased, Their Families, and Their Communities - Part 1: Why Establish an Office of Decedent Affairs

Decedent Affairs Offices and Programs can serve as an avenue to assist medical centers in facilitating efficient and comprehensive decedent management, despite a paucity of literature on their roles, establishment, and efficacy.

To characterize the motivations and rationales for establishing Decedent Affairs Offices.

A survey was administered to 11 established Decedent Affairs Offices/Programs, identified through the College of American Pathologists Autopsy Committee and a Medical Autopsy Listserv. The questions comprehensively cover establishment, operations, and outcomes data available by institution.

Survey respondents reported the rationale for starting their programs and the benefits such offices can have.

Decedent Affairs Offices and Programs provide a useful option to medical centers to navigate the increasingly complex task of comprehensive decedent management. The present survey helps to delineate the similarities and differences between these programs at 11 institutions, to aid nascent programs in their establishment and growth over time.