This study analyzed autopsies that were performed due to concerns about medical malpractice and highlights the utility of these important investigations. The authors advocate for better systems in Germany to register autopsies as an additional error reporting method. A past AHRQ WebM&M commentary discusses a case of a missed diagnosis that was discovered at autopsy.

This study reports that accusations of medication error are a small portion of medical malpractice claims with a lethal outcome. Investigators examined this relationship further and concluded that medication errors are likely underreported in malpractice claims due to failure to recognize them in clinical practice and difficulty in proving causality.