Quality assurance . Clinical departments use autopsy findings for monthly quality assurance conferences. A hospital committee also reviews all hospital deaths. Autopsy data are frequently helpful in this endeavor. Aid the family of the deceased .
Clinicians use the autopsy report to counsel family members.
Often, the autopsy findings help families with the grieving process. Provide teaching material . These include cases for CPCs as well as for teaching slide sets used in courses for the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy. Autopsy findings also provide the basis for academic studies of disease, case re- ports, etc. The autopsy provides pathology house staff and medical students an opportunity to develop or improve their skills in normal and abnormal gross and microscopic anatomy.