Advantages of an electronic recording system for medicolegal autopsies in resource-constrained contexts

In Africa, the efficiency of death investigation systems is impacted by a shortage of forensic pathologists. The continued use of paper-based documentation is an additional obstacle to accurate and up-to-date statistics and reporting. A sustainable, portable, and low-maintenance data collection system was designed to improve autopsy and statistics reporting and support an environment conducive to research. Accordingly, a mobile data application was created to store pertinent autopsy information in real-time and generate statistics and trend reports for various purposes. This user-friendly application was created for in-training, and practising pathologists use and requires minimal training. Implementation will provide an efficient and reliable system that will positively impact judicial processes and research in forensic pathology. The autopsy data application is currently undergoing user testing and will be piloted. The use of technology and digitisation alleviate multiple challenges, including deteriorating infrastructure, staff shortages, and unavailability of funding. The mobile application which conforms to legal and ethical requirements can significantly improve efficiency and offers a sustainable solution to forensic pathology practice in resource-constrained contexts.

Automated summary

This research addresses the shortage of forensic pathologists in Africa and the issue of inaccurate paper-based documentation by designing a sustainable, portable, and low-maintenance mobile data application. The application can record autopsy information in real-time and generate statistics and trend reports, positively impacting judicial processes and forensic pathology research.