[Cause of death in nursing homes]

Data from the Verpleeghuis Informatie Systeem (Nursing Home Information System, SIVIS) of the Stichting Informatiecentrum Gezondheidszorg (Foundation Information Centre Public Health, SIG) unlike data from the Central Bureau voor de Statistiek (Central Statistics Office, CBS) can afford insight into the primary causes of death of patients in Dutch nursing homes. We studied the question whether the causes of death of patients in somatic and psychogeriatric care differed and whether in these groups there was difference between those decreased within and after six months. Also, using the death certificates issued for the 29 patients deceased in nursing home De Bieslandhof in the first quarter of 1991, a comparison was made of reporting to the SIG and to the CBS. In 1989, data on 82.5% of the nursing home patients were registered in the SIVIS. Irrespective of the interval between admission and death and the nature of the multidisciplinary care (somatic or psychogeriatric), pneumonia was the cause of death most frequently stated (16%). Of the somatic patients decreased within six months the cause of death was mostly a malignancy. The psychogeriatric patients mostly died due to dehydration and cachexia. However, uncertainties in establishing the primary cause of death and registration errors are not made sufficiently clear in the SIVIS registration. The reporting to SIG and CBS does not always tally.