Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2073-2079 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | International Journal of Legal Medicine |
| Volume | 135 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 11 Mar 2021 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2021 |
Abstract
Working with the dead is a very specific kind of work. Although a dignified handling of the corpses is demanded by the legislator and by the general public, neither the legal status of the corpse is undisputed nor is it obvious what a dignified handling of the deceased should consist of. In our hypothesis generating pilot study, we asked which concrete considerations are involved in daily practice of forensic specialists. We used an online questionnaire (invitations via e-mail) consisting of questions with single choice, multiple choice, and free text entries. The answers to single or multiple choice questions were displayed in pivot tables. The data was thus summarized, viewed, descriptively analyzed, and displayed together with the free text answers. 84.54% of the physicians and 100% of the autopsy assistants stated that considerations concerning the dignity of the deceased should play a role in daily autopsy practice. 45.87% stated that the conditions surrounding the autopsy need improvement to be ethically suitable. The analysis of the survey’s results was based on Robert Audi’s ethics, according to which three aspects need to be lightened in order to evaluate the conduct of a person morally: the actions, the motivation, and the way in which the actions are carried out. This systematization helps to identify the need for improvement and to make the vague demands for a dignified handling of corpses more concrete.
Keywords
- Autopsy, Dignity, Ethics, Forensic medicine, Human corpse
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: International Journal of Legal Medicine, Vol. 135, No. 5, 09.2021, p. 2073-2079.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Dignity of the Human Corpse in Forensic Medicine
AU - Schwarz, Clara-Sophie
AU - Münch, Nikolai
AU - Müller-Salo, Johannes Wilhelm
AU - Kramer, Stefan
AU - Walz, Cleo
AU - Germerott, Tanja
N1 - Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Working with the dead is a very specific kind of work. Although a dignified handling of the corpses is demanded by the legislator and by the general public, neither the legal status of the corpse is undisputed nor is it obvious what a dignified handling of the deceased should consist of. In our hypothesis generating pilot study, we asked which concrete considerations are involved in daily practice of forensic specialists. We used an online questionnaire (invitations via e-mail) consisting of questions with single choice, multiple choice, and free text entries. The answers to single or multiple choice questions were displayed in pivot tables. The data was thus summarized, viewed, descriptively analyzed, and displayed together with the free text answers. 84.54% of the physicians and 100% of the autopsy assistants stated that considerations concerning the dignity of the deceased should play a role in daily autopsy practice. 45.87% stated that the conditions surrounding the autopsy need improvement to be ethically suitable. The analysis of the survey’s results was based on Robert Audi’s ethics, according to which three aspects need to be lightened in order to evaluate the conduct of a person morally: the actions, the motivation, and the way in which the actions are carried out. This systematization helps to identify the need for improvement and to make the vague demands for a dignified handling of corpses more concrete.
AB - Working with the dead is a very specific kind of work. Although a dignified handling of the corpses is demanded by the legislator and by the general public, neither the legal status of the corpse is undisputed nor is it obvious what a dignified handling of the deceased should consist of. In our hypothesis generating pilot study, we asked which concrete considerations are involved in daily practice of forensic specialists. We used an online questionnaire (invitations via e-mail) consisting of questions with single choice, multiple choice, and free text entries. The answers to single or multiple choice questions were displayed in pivot tables. The data was thus summarized, viewed, descriptively analyzed, and displayed together with the free text answers. 84.54% of the physicians and 100% of the autopsy assistants stated that considerations concerning the dignity of the deceased should play a role in daily autopsy practice. 45.87% stated that the conditions surrounding the autopsy need improvement to be ethically suitable. The analysis of the survey’s results was based on Robert Audi’s ethics, according to which three aspects need to be lightened in order to evaluate the conduct of a person morally: the actions, the motivation, and the way in which the actions are carried out. This systematization helps to identify the need for improvement and to make the vague demands for a dignified handling of corpses more concrete.
KW - Autopsy
KW - Dignity
KW - Ethics
KW - Forensic medicine
KW - Human corpse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102498191&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00414-021-02534-x
DO - 10.1007/s00414-021-02534-x
M3 - Article
VL - 135
SP - 2073
EP - 2079
JO - International Journal of Legal Medicine
JF - International Journal of Legal Medicine
SN - 0937-9827
IS - 5
ER -