Autopsy in the 21st Century: Best Practices and Future Directions

Better and more reproducible methods for reporting autopsy findings will be explored to exploit the full potential of autopsy data for cross-institutional research.  Two chapters will also provide the first book-level review of the growing field of autopsies performed on an urgent basis to sample both diseased and normal control tissue for research.  These “rapid research autopsies” are especially crucial to cancer research and the growth of personalized medicine, and the book will explain the science behind utilization of autopsy tissue and offer a full template for designing and delivering a successful rapid autopsy program.  Additionally, pathologist and clinician contributors will highlight current recommendations for special techniques and ancillary testing in postmortem examinations to serve the needs of today’s patient populations.  As resident education is re-examined by pathology and education authorities, new competency-based training models will almost certainly come to the fore.  A chapter will examine approaches to the future training of medical students, residents, and fellows in an environment of changing autopsy exposure.  A final chapter will summarize the vision for the autopsy as a clinical outcome measure, and valuable scientific resource. This book will be a new type of volume in the field of autopsy pathology.  It differs from the presently available review references and atlases in that it provides guidance for readers to embrace transformations that are already taking place in the field.  There currently is no resource that offers comprehensive guidance for modern autopsy practice and looks forward to what the field might become in the future.