Television crime dramas may draw big audiences, but they don't seem to work as a recruiting tool for forensic pathologists.

A draft report by a Justice Department Scientific Working Group for Medicolegal Death Investigation, which is open for comment through Aug. 22, spotlights the nation's shortage of these highly trained professionals who perform autopsies to determine the cause of death, whether from disease or foul play.

The dwindling numbers have implications for the healthcare system not necessarily explored on CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or on re-runs of Quincy.

For instance, according to Dr. Randy Hanzlick, the vice chairman of the scientific working group that prepared the report, areas lacking a board-certified pathologist will be ill-equipped to look for unexpected diseases and other risks to public health.

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Source: Matthew Fleming, Kaiser Health News