[Autopsy-a procedure of medical history?].

An autopsy is an important tool of quality assurance in clinical medicine. It serves to determine the exact cause of death, unravel unexpected complications of disease processes including adverse or any other effects of treatment as well as to validate the official mortality statistics. An autopsy also makes an important contribution to training medical students and physicians; however, the rate of clinical autopsies has been declining drastically for decades, the causes being manifold. Lack of interest among clinicians, mainly due to inadequate knowledge of the advantages of autopsy seems to play a special role. The lack of reasonable reimbursement has also been discussed as another possible cause. In order to counteract this negative trend, efforts should be made to work on the awareness of medical students and young clinicians so that an autopsy is perceived as a general measure of quality assurance and physician self-control. Furthermore, a realistic reimbursement of financial and personnel expense is necessary.