File Download
  Links for fulltext
     (May Require Subscription)
Supplementary

Article: The likely implications of the 1997 Coroners Ordinance on the autopsy service of a teaching hospital

TitleThe likely implications of the 1997 Coroners Ordinance on the autopsy service of a teaching hospital
Authors
KeywordsAutopsy
Coroners and medical examiners
Hong Kong
Medical audit
Practice guidelines
Issue Date1998
PublisherHong Kong Medical Association. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hkmj.org
Citation
Hong Kong Medical Journal, 1998, v. 4 n. 2, p. 191-194 How to Cite?
AbstractThe new Hong Kong Coroners Ordinance was published in April 1997. It introduced an expanded set of guidelines for reporting deaths to the coroner as well as the threat of criminal proceedings for non-compliance. The Ordinance is due to be implemented in early 1998. The aim of this study is to determine the likely effect of the new law on the relative proportion of coroner's and hospital (consent) autopsies. A total of 352 consecutive autopsy cases were reviewed; 170 (48.3%) were referred for coroner's autopsies and 182 (51.7%) for hospital autopsies. But applying the criteria of the current ordinance, there should have been 213 (60.5%) coroner's cases and 139 (39.5%) hospital autopsiesԸ?that is, 43 hospital autopsies should have been coroner's autopsies. Under the new Coroners Ordinance, there would be 300 (85.2%) coroner's autopsies and only 52 (14.8%) hospital autopsies. The new Coroners Ordinance is likely to result in a greater number of requests for coroner's autopsies with a corresponding decline in hospital autopsiesԸ?in our case, a shift from 48.3% of all autopsies performed to 85.2%! This increase would be due largely to the requirement for reporting stillbirths but would also be due to increased reporting for fear of Ը?criminal proceedings' for non-compliance. An absolute increase in the number of autopsies is also anticipated, although the magnitude cannot as yet be predicted.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/54176
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 3.1
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.261

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorBeh, SLen_HK
dc.contributor.authorDickens, Pen_HK
dc.contributor.authorKam, EPYen_HK
dc.contributor.authorOng, Len_HK
dc.date.accessioned2009-04-03T07:38:47Z-
dc.date.available2009-04-03T07:38:47Z-
dc.date.issued1998en_HK
dc.identifier.citationHong Kong Medical Journal, 1998, v. 4 n. 2, p. 191-194en_HK
dc.identifier.issn1024-2708en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/54176-
dc.description.abstractThe new Hong Kong Coroners Ordinance was published in April 1997. It introduced an expanded set of guidelines for reporting deaths to the coroner as well as the threat of criminal proceedings for non-compliance. The Ordinance is due to be implemented in early 1998. The aim of this study is to determine the likely effect of the new law on the relative proportion of coroner's and hospital (consent) autopsies. A total of 352 consecutive autopsy cases were reviewed; 170 (48.3%) were referred for coroner's autopsies and 182 (51.7%) for hospital autopsies. But applying the criteria of the current ordinance, there should have been 213 (60.5%) coroner's cases and 139 (39.5%) hospital autopsiesԸ?that is, 43 hospital autopsies should have been coroner's autopsies. Under the new Coroners Ordinance, there would be 300 (85.2%) coroner's autopsies and only 52 (14.8%) hospital autopsies. The new Coroners Ordinance is likely to result in a greater number of requests for coroner's autopsies with a corresponding decline in hospital autopsiesԸ?in our case, a shift from 48.3% of all autopsies performed to 85.2%! This increase would be due largely to the requirement for reporting stillbirths but would also be due to increased reporting for fear of Ը?criminal proceedings' for non-compliance. An absolute increase in the number of autopsies is also anticipated, although the magnitude cannot as yet be predicted.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherHong Kong Medical Association. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hkmj.orgen_HK
dc.rightsHong Kong Medical Journal. Copyright © Hong Kong Medical Association.en_HK
dc.subjectAutopsyen_HK
dc.subjectCoroners and medical examinersen_HK
dc.subjectHong Kongen_HK
dc.subjectMedical auditen_HK
dc.subjectPractice guidelinesen_HK
dc.titleThe likely implications of the 1997 Coroners Ordinance on the autopsy service of a teaching hospitalen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=1024-2708&volume=4&issue=2&spage=191&epage=194&date=1998&atitle=The+likely+implications+of+the+1997+Coroners+Ordinance+on+the+autopsy+service+of+a+teaching+hospitalen_HK
dc.identifier.emailBeh, SL: slbeh@hkucc.hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailDickens, P: pdickens@hku.hken_HK
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_versionen_HK
dc.identifier.pmid11832572en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros33883-
dc.identifier.issnl1024-2708-

Export via OAI-PMH Interface in XML Formats


OR


Export to Other Non-XML Formats