Mortality surveillance system: the first models from year

This report presents the statistical charts and text from the first year of the Mortality Surveillance System (MSS), as published in 12 issues of the Monthly Vital Statistics Report (MVSR) (Vol. 3S, No. 2-Vol. 39, No. l), and briefly describes the methodology that was used. Also presented are the monthly data used in fitting the models depicted in the published charts and the model statistics for the fitted curves. According to the Dictionary of Epidemiology edited by John Last surveillance is "Ongoing scrutiny, generally using methods distinguished by their practicability, uniformity, and frequently their rapidity, rather than by complete accuracy. Its main purpose is to detect changes in trend or distribution in order to initiate investigative or control measures." Conceptually, then, the purpose of the MSS is to detect changes in trend or distribution in order to initiate further investigative and control measures in a practical and timeIy manner.