What Happens Between a Death Report and Case Acceptance

In the 2003 national workshop summary, Vincent Di Maio described a county where the medical examiner’s office received about 8,000 reports and accepted about 2,000 cases. The figures describe two stages of work in that example. Receiving a report brought the death to the office’s attention. Acceptance meant the office took the case.

The presentation emphasized that screening itself requires judgment. A file that records the facts available at intake can help a reader understand the basis for the decision and distinguish it from information gathered later. The figures were an example from one county.

Institute of Medicine, Medicolegal Death Investigation System (2003), p. 29