FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

No. A complete autopsy procedure does not touch the face, arms, or legs and will not prevent a viewing from taking place.

The goal is to perform the tissue collection within six to eight hours of death; however, longer intervals do not necessarily mean that useful information cannot be learned from the samples. It is important, however, that family members not feel rushed in their time with their loved ones after death. At RAC, we always want to honor the wishes of our brave and generous families and will work within the times that they need.

No. Costs to perform the case and for transport to and from the hospital are paid. Families will be responsible for the costs of funeral arrangements after the case is completed.

The autopsy is performed by a physician trained in the subspecialty of Pathology with experience in performing autopsies in the state-of-the-art postmortem facility within the Stanford Hospital. There are also assisting staff both as a part of RAC and from the participating research laboratories.

The Research Autopsy study consent is signed by the patient themselves if they are capable, and can otherwise be signed by a next of kin prior to death. It allows for sample collection and use of personalized medical information by the researchers. The consent to perform the autopsy itself by law in California must be signed separately but can be signed by the patients themselves or by the legal next of kin.  If signed by the patient, the consent of the next of kin will be affirmed orally when the RAC is informed of the death.

The Study Consent must be signed before the patient passes, by the patient or if they are unable, the next of kin. It gives permission for things like genetic testing on the samples that will be taken, tissue banking, and other guidelines. An Autopsy Consent is signed by the patient or legal next of kin to authorize the autopsy procedure itself, either before or after the patient passes away.

Potentially, yes. RAC is currently serving only patients who can be transported to Stanford within a feasible number of hours for performance of the case at Stanford.  We are working to create a contact list for programs in other regions (see Related Links) and possibly involve more centers and private pathologists in the future.

It is best to think about participation in the Research Autopsy program before the patient is actively dying so that communication can be set up, questions can be answered, and arrangements can be made for transportation if needed. Though this is ideal, cases have also been performed for patients in the hospital whose families had not considered participation in the program until late in the disease course.