Contributing
Yes, in some cases. Please contact us to see if it is possible to make this arrangement. You will need to complete a consent. And we will need to make sure the logistics are feasible for any individual case. There is no cost to you to donate for video recording. We can also video record when the family requests an autopsy for another reason and then consents to video record for education. Learn more
here.
Yes. You may establish a private Institutional Database or contribute generally to the site Library. Learn more
here.
Video Lab
The
Video Lab is a video processing service provided by Autopsy.Online. It serves to create uniformly high quality video content for the shared Library. Contributors may submit video footage to the Video Lab.
Yes. We encourage pathologists, surgeons and anatomists with access to unique anatomy to simply plant a video camera or strap on a GoPro and send us the file. (We will only share the content where you authorize — either into your private, Institutional Database or, at your request, our shared Library. It will not be shared with any third party.)
You do not need to have video skills, just an interest in sharing a video-donation gift from your patient. Focus on your work. We’ll do the rest through our Video Lab.
Autopsy.Online provides unique, intimate, “anatomically intelligent” editing for educational purposes. “Downtime” — pauses, phone calls, camera positioning — and set-up will be edited out. Please view examples of our work on the home page or inside the site.
Like any lab specimen, “pre-analytic variables” can impact the quality of the test result. In the case of video you can take these steps before recording, while, of course, always keeping in mind the patient comfort and dignity.
Camera position:
Point the camera at the area of interaction. This sounds basic, but can help. You do not need to include the whole body in video field. And you do not need to include the table in the image. Focus on where your hands touch the body. This will happen naturally if you are wearing a GoPro. If you are using a stationary camera, make sure you position it so that the visual field covers any anatomy your hands will touch. Wider views can be useful for context, but we’ll leave the creativity up to you.
Important: Cover patient identifiers.
The means placing a towel over the face (if the patient is deceased) or a barrier between the face the surgical site, if possible, during a live procedure ***and only if that fits for your operative management and your standard practices for care of your patient ***. Cover tattoos and written identifiers (for example by draping or wrapping in a towel).
Important: Be careful about audio patient identifiers.
If possible, keep patient identifers out of audio discussions — but, as always, the patient is your priority, so take care of your case as you normally would and as is comfortable. We can always edit audio and video.
The decision is somewhat subjective and completely at the discretion of Autopsy.Online.
A video submitted to the Library may be rejected because of factors unrelated to your video (for example, the site may already have many videos showing a similar finding).
For both the Library and your Institutional database, we do not allow showing of patient identifiers (face, tattoos, name tags, audio identifiers, etc.). If you are submitting to your private Institutional database and do not request our editing, and your video has patient identifiers, it will be rejected. While the Institutional database is viewable only to you, the site overall guarantees we protect patient confidentiality everywhere.
If you have a video demonstrating facial anatomy, please talk to us to see if we can make special arrangements. It will likely require documentation that specific patient consent has been obtained for what you want to show.
If you are submitting for your private Institutional database and have not requested editing, it’s best not to submit the video. It will be rejected.
If you are submitting to the Library or your private Institutional database (with editing), we will catch the identifier and edit it out. We are skilled and experienced at keeping patient confidentiality. If you are aware of where in the video the patient identifier was exposed, we appreciate you dropping us a note so we can get right to it and remove it.
If you submit video repeatedly with multiple exposed patient identifiers, you will receive a warning and a follow-up trial period. If you are unable to provide video free of identifiers, we may no longer accept your video for consideration.
If you routinely work on a part of the body that identifies the patient (e.g. facial surgery), please talk to us to see if we can make an exception. Your work is valuable and we appreciate it. Our commitment to patient confidentiality, however, is greater than our educational goals. Let’s be sure to work together on this. See also (5., above).
Live Stream
Live streaming is video broadcasting of the autopsy in real-time while we do the case. During live streaming, we interact with the viewers by taking on-line questions and answering them live during the case.
You will receive an email notice as soon as we know we are live streaming. This may be a day before the event or minutes before the event. It depends on when we receive written authorization from the legal next of kin.
-Go to the
Live Stream page to access a event.
We don’t know. A lot of things need to coordinate for a live event to happen: A person has to die, the family has to request an autopsy, we have to agree to do the autopsy, the family has to consent to live streaming and the case location has to have working internet access.
No. We live stream when we can and only if the family consents.
We may end the case early or even after a few minutes for many reasons. For example: we may need to focus on the case for technical reasons; we may need to protect the confidentiality of the patient; or internet access at the particular location does not allow for adequate streaming. While we make every effort to complete the case, we use our judgement and keep the family and case first.
We do not guarantee that any event will be streamable. We perform many of our cases in community locations outside our Center and are dependent on that location’s internet access.
We go dark (turn off visual and, often, audio), when we need to protect the patient confidentiality. We cannot stream the visual at that time. Examples would be during case photography (when we use a patient name and case number label) or when we need to expose tattoos. The patient and family are always the priority and the live streaming comes second. Thank you for understanding.
More about Live Streaming
We only live stream cases when the legal next of kin
authorizes live streaming. We do not make that choice. The patient’s and family’s privacy and confidentiality are our priority. The case will not be live streamed without consent. We typically ask the family during the consent process if they wish to live stream. For some cases, we will not make the request (for example, cases under criminal investigation or children).
Yes.
We prepare the body before the live stream by covering the face, written identifiers (name tags and case numbers) and other visual identifiers (tatoos). During the case we do not disclose case identifiers (patient name, age, unique case details). The case facility and location are not disclosed.
Families who want to participate in health education or believe their loved one valued health education have chosen to live stream the cases. Other families who have not been able to participate in organ donation have sought live streaming as an alternative to “make a difference” for the future. Every family is different and chooses for reasons unique to them.
Live stream is open to all subscribers.
No. There is no cost to the family to live stream.
Yes, in some cases. Please contact us to see if it is possible to make this arrangement. You will need to complete a consent. And we will need to make sure the logistics are feasible for any individual case. There is no cost to you to donate for live streaming. We can also live stream when the family requests an autopsy for another reason and then, in addition, consents to live stream.
Learn more about donating for video education.
Live streaming is live video broadcast of an autopsy to the general public. It includes interactive Q & A.
Live from the Morgue is Autopsy Center of Chicago’s structured high school event using archived autopsy footage. It includes a workbook, social worker involvement and live Q & A with students during the event.
