Without Autopsies, Hospitals Bury Their Mistakes ProPublica Dec. 2011

A few highlights from the excellent article

Average number of autopsies in US (on patients who have been in hospital at least one day)

• Mid 20th century: half

• 2011: 5%

• Teaching hospitals: 20%

• Private and community hospitals 2011: close to zero %

Reasons

• Insurers don’t pay for autopsies . (An autopsy costs about $1,275)

• Medicare does not pay for autopsies

• Some fear autopsies may reveal malpractice. (diagnostic/procedural errors)

I would not mind a decrease in autopsies, but a 2002 review of autopsies uncovered “major errors” in 1 out of every 4 autopsies

Autopsy rate in England is apparently still about 20% - the UK has not ignored their laws the way the US has.