Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 58

The Autopsy as an Outcome and Performance Measure

File Inventory


Prepared by:

University of California at San Francisco (UCSF)-Stanford University
Evidence-based Practice Center

A. Eugene Washington, M.D., M.Sc.
   EPC Director
Kathryn M. McDonald, M.M.
   EPC Coordinator
Kaveh G. Shojania, M.D.
Elizabeth C. Burton, M.D.
Kathryn M. McDonald, M.M.
Lee Goldman, M.D., M.P.H.
   Investigators


File Name	Description				Software	Version	File	Size
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01front.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	56KB	9 pages
Contents: Title Page, Preface, Structured Abstract, Table of Contents
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02summ.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	58KB	8 pages
Contents: Summary: Overview, Reporting the Evidence, Findings, Conclusions, Future Research
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03chap1.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	55KB	5 pages
Contents: Chapter 1. Introduction: Background, Objectives
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04chap2.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	40KB	4 pages
Contents: Chapter 2. Methods: Search Strategy, Study Selection, Data Collection and Analysis
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05chap3.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	246KB	34 pages
Contents: Chapter 3. Results: The Autopsy as a Diagnostic Test, Reproducibility of Judgments of 
Autopsy-detected Errors in Clinical Diagnosis, Autopsy Detection of Clinically Unsuspected Diagnoses, 
The Autopsy as a Performance Measure for Clinical Diagnosis, Impact of the Autopsy on Clinical 
Performance Improvement, Autopsy Detected Diagnostic Errors at the Health System Level
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06chap4.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	26KB	2 pages
Contents: Chapter 4. Conclusions
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07chap5.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	25KB	2 pages
Contents: Chapter 5. Future Research
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08refs.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	162KB	16 pages
Contents: References
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09appa.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	593KB	32 pages
Contents: Appendix A. Additional Tables and Figures:
Table 1. Studies Reporting Rates of Persistent Diagnostic Uncertainty After Autopsy
Table 2. Studies Reporting "Class I" or "Class I Equivalent" Error Rates
Table 3. Autopsy Studies Reporting Major Error Rates
Table 4. Studies Reporting Autopsy-detected Diagnostic Errors in Terms of Discrepant 
  Major ICD Disease Categories
Table 5. Studies Addressing the Issue of Clinical Selection Bias in Referral for Autopsy
Table 6. Unsuspected Complications of Care Detected at Autopsy
Table 7. Sensitivity of Clinical Diagnosis for Patients with Five Target Conditions
Figure 1. Autopsy Rates Over Time Based on Autopsy Studies of Diagnostic Errors
Figure 2. Trends in U.S. Autopsy Rates
Figure 3. Class I Error Rates with 95% Confidence Intervals
Figure 5. Class I Error Rates Over Time
Figure 6. Major Error Rates Over Time
Figure 7. Class I Error as a Function of Autopsy Rate for 4 Different Time Periods
Figure 8. Major Error Rates as a Function of Autopsy Rate for 4 Different Time Periods
Figure 9a. Assessment of Publication Bias: Funnel Plot of All Studies Reporting Class I Errors
Figure 9b. Assessment of Publication Bias: Funnel Plot Restricted to Studies Reporting Class I Errors 
  Among General Inpatients
Figure 10a. Assessment of Publication Bias: Funnel Plot for all Autopsy Studies Reporting 
  "Major Errors"
Figure 10b. Assessment of Publication Bias: Funnel Plot Restricted to Studies of Major Errors 
  Among General Inpatients
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10apfig4.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	120KB	5 pages
Contents: Appendix A. Additional Tables and Figures:
Figure 4. Major Error Rates with 95% Confidence Intervals
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11appb.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	177KB	11 pages
Contents: Appendix B. Statistical Analysis
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12appc.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	58KB	5 pages
Contents: Appendix C. Index of Study Topics
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13appd.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	103KB	14 pages
Contents: Appendix D. Article Abstraction Form for Autopsy Studies
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14appe.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	72KB	9 pages
Contents: Appendix E. Material Provided by Advisory Panel
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15appf.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	331KB	56 pages
Contents: Appendix F. Bibliography
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16appg.doc	Microsoft Word® Document		MS Word®	2002	50KB	2 pages
Contents: Appendix G. Acknowledgments
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AHRQ Publication No. 03-E002
Current as of October 2002


Internet Citation:

The Autopsy as an Outcome and Performance Measure. File Inventory, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 58. AHRQ Publication No. 03-E002, October 2002. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/autopinv.htm


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