Forensic radiology at the New York City office of the chief medical examiner (NYC OCME): Current US forensic radiology practices and reflections on the future

Abstract

Introduction Forensic sciences must adhere to high quality standards in order to present their evidence in court. However, no standards currently exist regarding qualification and certification in Forensic Radiology. At the NYC OCME, medical examiners (ME) decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not post-mortem radiographs should be performed. Radiology technicians take the requested images of either specific areas or the whole body. The ME then interprets the images for use in identification or forensic investigation. There are currently no staff radiologists employed by the NYC OCME. Therefore, if the ME's find images challenging to interpret, they will call in a consultant radiologist for further evaluation. Method This study will retrospectively analyze all cases over the past 5 years to which consultant radiologists have been called. We will gather information on when, how often, and in what types of cases the decision is made to call in a radiology consultant. We will also evaluate what subspecialties within diagnostic radiology were involved and determine if radiologic evidence was given in a court case. Results The expected result is that the use of forensic radiologists is non-standardized within the NYC OCME. There are likely no set criteria for when a radiologist is to be consulted for a case. It is unlikely that radiologists with special training in forensic and post-mortem radiology are consulted. The cases for which the radiologists are most often consulted involve identification of individuals and child abuse. Either an oral or a written report may be submitted. Radiologists may give evidence in court in a small number of cases but most likely the forensic pathologists relay the information. Conclusion Forensic radiology is not standardized as seen in the NYC OCME. Future research should be geared towards establishing when and how Forensic Radiologic assessment should be performed. A drive towards publication of specialty guidelines, credentialing and certification will advance the quality of radiologic assessments in the forensic context.