Navigating Medical Examiner And Coroner Office Accreditation Challenges: A Practical Guide

• NCJ Number: 308973
• Date Published: December 2023
• Length: 42 pages
• Grant Number(s): 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, Fiscal Year 2021

Annotation

This guide, published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, explores medical examiner and coroner office accreditation challenges.

Abstract

This guide by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, provides an overview of the MEC accreditation programs and processes, including the benefits of accreditation, and offers helpful resources for MEC offices seeking accreditation. The guide is intended for use by MEC professionals, as well as policymakers, legislators, members of the public, and other stakeholders interested in promoting MDI excellence. The NIJ, in partnership with FTCOE at RTI International and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, set out to re-examine common obstacles and barriers that impede an office from achieving accreditation and to develop a resource guide that would help offices overcome accreditation challenges. To prepare this guide, medical examiner/coroner (MEC) offices serving various geographic regions and diverse population sizes, and representatives from IACME and NAME, were interviewed in December 2022. The interviews were focused on gathering information about the most common challenges to accreditation and collecting helpful tips and solutions to overcome the challenges. Additionally, several MEC offices were contacted about providing additional resources and information to include in this guide.