Journal:Introductory evidence on data management and practice systems of forensic autopsies in sudden and unnatural deaths: A scoping review
| Full article title | Introductory evidence on data management and practice systems of forensic autopsies in sudden and unnatural deaths: A scoping review |
|---|---|
| Journal | Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences |
| Author(s) | Prahladh, Salona; van Wyk, Jacqueline |
| Author affiliation(s) | Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, University of KwaZulu-Natal |
| Primary contact | Email: prahladhs at ukzn dot ac dot za |
| Year published | 2022 |
| Volume and issue | 12 |
| Article # | 38 |
| DOI | 10.1186/s41935-022-00293-3 |
| ISSN | 2090-5939 |
| Distribution license | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
| Website | https://ejfs.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41935-022-00293-3 |
| Download | https://ejfs.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s41935-022-00293-3.pdf (PDF) |
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This article should be considered a work in progress and incomplete. Consider this article incomplete until this notice is removed. |
Abstract
Background: The investigation into sudden unexpected and unnatural deaths supports criminal justice, aids in litigation, and provides important information for public health, including surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention programs. The use of mortality data to convey trends can inform policy development and resource allocations. Hence, data practices and data management systems in forensic medicine are critical. This study scoped literature and described the body of knowledge on data management and practice systems in forensic medicine.
Methods: Five steps of the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley guided this scoping review. A combination of keywords, Boolean terms, and medical subject headings was used to search PubMed, EBSCOhost (CINAHL with full text and Health Sources), Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, WorldCat, and Google Scholar from June 18–24 of 2020, and again in November 2021, for peer review papers. This study included articles involving unnatural deaths, focused on data practice or data management systems, relating to forensic medicine, all study designs, and published in English. Screening, selection, and data extraction were conducted by two reviews. Thematic analysis was conducted, and the results were reported using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Results: Of the examined 23,059 articles, 16 met this study’s inclusion criteria. The included articles were published between 2008 and 2019. Eight of the 16 articles were published between 2017 and 2019. Most of the included studies were conducted in the United States (5) and Australia/New Zealand (4). Only two publications were from lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs; Nigeria and Mexico), and the remaining 14 were from high-income countries (Italy, Denmark, US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, and Canada). The data management systems found in this study were as follows: Virtopsy, Canadian Coroner and Medical Examiner Database, Infant Injury Database, Ibadan pilot fatal injury surveillance system, Medical Examiners and Coroners Alert System, National Violent Deaths Reporting System, AM/PM Database, Tokyo CDISC/ODM, and National Coronial Information System.
Conclusions: This study’s results revealed limited articles relating to data management and practice systems in forensic medicine—particularly in LMICs—indicating there is a prevalence of unnatural deaths in LMICs. This study, therefore, recommends research on data management and practice systems relating to forensic medicine in LMICs to inform policy decisions.
Keywords: unnatural death, data practice, data management systems, autopsy, post-mortem examination, forensic medicine, pathology
Background
The global burden of trauma, particularly in low- and middle-income countries places a large strain on resources, and therefore, the diagnostic value of autopsies must be reiterated (Salona Prahladh 2018). The use of autopsies remains the gold standard in assessing standards of medical care. There is a concerning decline in autopsies even though its value to the medical fraternity is acknowledged (Aase 2013; Bagher et al. 2015). Forensic Medicine and Forensic Pathology apply scientific and medical knowledge to inquests, and the autopsy is frequently regarded as the focus of the death investigation. The investigation into sudden unexpected and unnatural deaths supports criminal justice, aids in litigation, and provides important information for public health including surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention programs (Bagher et al. 2015; Tseng et al. 2018; Barbería et al. 2018; Pan et al. 2019; Soto Martinez et al. 2019). The evidence serves to inform policy not only for injury prevention and control but also to prevent suicide, violence, or substance abuse (Barbería et al. 2018; Pan et al. 2019; Rao et al. 2005; Grills et al. 2011; Prinsloo 2019; Willcox et al. 2020).
References
Notes
This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation, grammar, and punctuation. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added.
