Death and the TMB: Follow the Law or Pay a $500 Fine

Area of Science:

• Medical Law and Ethics
• Public Health Policy
• Health Information Systems

Background:

• Texas enacted House Bill 1739 in 2007, mandating electronic death certificate filing.
• Physicians signing death certificates were required to comply with this new electronic system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess physician compliance with the Texas electronic death certificate filing law.
• To identify physicians potentially facing Texas Medical Board (TMB) review for non-compliance.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of physician registration and electronic death certificate submission data.
• Review of Texas Medical Board (TMB) records for potential non-compliance cases.

Main Results:

• More than 150 physicians potentially face scrutiny from the Texas Medical Board (TMB).
• Non-compliance is linked to the failure to register and use the Texas Electronic Registrar Death Registration system.

Conclusions:

• Physician adherence to electronic death certificate mandates is crucial for regulatory compliance.
• The Texas Medical Board (TMB) is monitoring physician compliance with electronic health record requirements.