POST-MORTEMS are on the wane around the world. As in Britain, doctors are now
less likely to assume that relatives will consent to the procedure, and more
families are asserting their rights to say no.
Fear is also playing a part. In the US, doctors are increasingly nervous
about litigation and malpractice lawsuits, and many avoid carrying out a
post-mortem as a result. That’s despite no evidence that doctors are more likely
to be sued because of an autopsy.
A more insidious explanation, however, is that doctors are growing
complacent, feeling they no longer need to subject their diagnoses to…
