Title: MAKING VITAL STATISTICS MORE VITAL SUPPLEMENT: THE NEW DEATH CERTIFICATE
1MAKING VITAL STATISTICS MORE VITAL SUPPLEMENT
THE NEW DEATH CERTIFICATE
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention National Center for Health
Statistics Division of Vital Statistics Mortality
Statistics Branch
2Development of the Revised Death Certificate 11th
Revision
-
- The U.S. Standard Certificate of Death had 10
revisions during the 20th century. The last
revision, still in use, was in 1989. - The revision process began with a consensus from
the States that a revision was needed. - In 1998, the National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) assembled an expert panel to
evaluate the current certificate and recommend
changes.
3Development of the Revised Death Certificate
- The Panel to Evaluate the U.S. Standard
Certificates and Report Parent Group was composed
of - State vital registration and statistics
executives - Patricia W. Potrzebowski (Chair),
PA Donald Berry, DE Carol V. Getts, MI Karen
Grady, NH Dorothy S. Harshbarger, AL Michael R.
Lavoie, GA A.Torrey McLean, NC Barry Nangle,
UT Alvin T. Onaka, HI Lorne A. Phillips, KS
Steven Schwartz, NYC. - Researchers and representatives of data providers
and user organizations - (e.g., CAP, NAME, NFDA,
AHA, and AMA).
4Development of the Revised Death Certificate --
cont.
- In a series of meetings over 16 months, the
Panel reviewed literature, suggestions, and
recommendations and heard outside testimony from
other experts and private citizens. - The revision was viewed as a opportunity to
improve the data collection process. - Recommendations were made as to
- Content
- Format
- Instructions
- The Panel made its final recommendations in 1999.
- NCHS was mandated to test the new documents.
5Guides to Completing Death Certificate
- To assist the funeral director completing
demographic and legal items, the funeral
directors handbook has been revised. - To assist physicians, medical examiners, and
coroners completing cause of death, the
physicians and medical examiners and coroners
handbooks have been revised.
6Detailed Specification for Electronic Systems
- Because an increasing number of deaths are
expected to be registered electronically, for the
first time, detailed specifications for each data
item on the electronic death certificate have
been developed. The specifications include
- Suggested electronic screens
- Response categories
- Drop-down menus
- Edits
- Help screens
- Ability to edit and query at data entry
resolution of data issues at the source
7Proposed New Death CertificateModified Items
-
- Decedents race, captures multiple race
identification - Decedents education, captures highest degree
attained - Decedents marital status distinguishes Married
from Married, but separated - Place of death includes hospice facility
8Proposed New Death CertificateImportant New
Items
- If female, pregnancy status at time of death that
will help identify maternal and pregnancy-related
deaths - If transportation injury, decedents role with
respect to vehicles - Did tobacco use contribute to death?
- Separate instructions for funeral director and
person completing medical portion
9Summary
- The quality of death certificate data will be
improved as a result of - Expanded instructions in the death certificate
packet - Revised handbooks
- Detailed specifications for the electronic system
and the ability to edit and query as data are
entered
10Public Health Implications
- More accurate and comprehensive reporting on the
death certificate will enhance our ability to
analyze and track crucial indicators of health,
including demographic characteristics and causes
of death.
- Cause-of-death trends
- Leading causes of death
- Life expectancy
- Socio-economic differentials
- Demographic differentials
Number of deaths
Age-adjusted death rate