Publication
Forensic Science International: Synergy, May 2024
Authors
Liat C. Weinstein | RTI International
Kelly A. Keyes | RTI International
Connor Brooks | Bureau of Justice Statistics
Micaela A. Ascolese | RTI International
Hope M. Smiley-McDonald | RTI International
Jeri D. Ropero-Miller | RTI International
Abstract
Technology uses among medical examiner and coroner (MEC) offices in the United States are not well characterized, yet technology is essential to job-performing duties. Resources, operational infrastructure, and MECs' policies and procedures that affect technology use should be better understood. MEC offices need access to technologies like internet, case management systems (CMSs), databases, and advanced imaging to perform their basic duties. A current state of the technologies MEC offices use to complete a death investigation is presented by analyzing data from the 2018 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices. This analysis shows the New England division reported the most internet and CMS access. Many offices reported limited access to, and low participation in, databases for assessing and sharing case data. Offices serving populations >250,000 have more access to the internet, CMSs, databases, and advanced imaging. Although MEC office technology use has improved over time, it is still disparate.
Related Resources
- Mass Fatality and Disaster Response Preparedness Across Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices in the United States
- Medicolegal Death Investigations On Tribal Lands—Underrepresented Or Underserved?
- The Impacts of Governing Agency: A Comparison of Resources in the Patchwork of Medicolegal Death Investigation Systems
Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence article was provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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