Format preferences of district attorneys for post-mortem medical imaging reports: understandability, cost effectiveness, and suitability for the courtroom: a questionnaire based study.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: The objective of this study was to explore the perception of the legal authorities regarding different report types and visualization techniques for post-mortem radiological findings. METHODS: A standardized digital questionnaire was developed and the district attorneys in the catchment area of the affiliated Forensic Institute were requested to evaluate four different types of forensic imaging reports based on four cases examples. Each case was described in four different report types (short written report only, gray-scale CT image with figure caption, color-coded CT image with figure caption, 3D-reconstruction with figure caption). The survey participants were asked to evaluate those types of reports regarding understandability, cost effectiveness and overall appropriateness for the courtroom. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 3D reconstructions and color-coded CT images accompanied by written report were preferred regarding understandability and cost/effectiveness. 3D reconstructions of the forensic findings reviewed as most adequate for court.