The clinical picture during life and necropsy findings are two sides of the same coin. To look at one without the other is to see only half the picture. Proof of that assertion comes from the known discrepancy between the clinical and necropsy findings - for example, Cameron et al found that 15% of the main diagnoses and 42% of causes of death were not confirmed at necropsy and Hartveit reported that one in five diagnoses thought to be certain were found to be erroneous.1, 2

In this issue Berlin et al report that only 20% of deaths in the community are followed by necropsies and that three quarters of those are requested by coroners …