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Factors contributing to the reduced rate of autopsies
4:13:43
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Council Member Lynn Schulman inquires about the factors leading to a lower rate of autopsies performed by OCME, as indicated in the Mayor's Management Report. Dr. Jason Graham explains the reasons for the reduction.
- OCME has implemented new guidance allowing doctors more flexibility in determining which cases require autopsies
- The use of external physical examinations and toxicology testing in some cases
- The introduction of additional testing options, such as post-mortem CT scanning
Lynn Schulman
4:13:43
The Mayor's Management Report and preliminary Mayor's Management Report serve as a report card for the agencies and the services they provide.
4:13:50
The PMMR indicated that one thousand five hundred and four autopsies were performed in the first four months of fiscal twenty twenty five while two thousand one hundred and fifty six were performed during the same period in fiscal twenty twenty four.
4:14:04
The reduced rate of autopsies accounts for OCME's limited autopsies on decedents that were suspected to die from a drug overdose.
4:14:11
What other factors resulted in a lower rate of autopsies performed?
Jason Graham
4:14:15
Many of the factors that I mentioned previously with respect to our guidance to our doctors, who now have the flexibility to make a medical judgment and determine which cases an autopsy is needed for, and which may be an adequate investigation with an external physical examination of the body in toxicology testing.
4:14:38
This is again in the presence of additional testing options such as post mortem CT scanning.
4:14:48
So this is a judgment a shift in the judgment based on our doctor's ability to ascertain which cases need an autopsy and which do not without compromising our cause and manner of death determination.