Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum
04:36

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Published on: August 5, 2020

4.7K

Concordance between the underlying causes of death on death certificates written by three emergency physicians

Hyeji Lee1, Sun Hyu Kim1, Byungho Choi1

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea.

Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine
|October 2, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Three emergency physicians (EPs) showed varying concordance in determining the underlying cause of death (UCOD) on death certificates. While EPs had different error patterns, they collectively improved accuracy compared to prior studies.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Documentation
  • Forensic Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Accurate death certification is crucial for public health statistics and epidemiological research.
  • Variability in determining the underlying cause of death (UCOD) can impact data reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the concordance among three emergency physicians (EPs) in identifying the UCOD on death certificates.
  • To investigate the types and frequency of errors made by EPs in death certificate completion.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for 106 deceased patients.
  • Independent completion of death certificates by three EPs using established selection rules.
  • Determination of a gold standard UCOD (GS-UCOD) by unanimous consensus among the three EPs.
  • Comparison of EP-assigned UCOD (EP-UCOD) with GS-UCOD and inter-EP concordance analysis.

Main Results:

  • Concordance rates between EP-UCOD and GS-UCOD varied by physician: 86% (EP-A), 81% (EP-B), and 67% (EP-C).
  • Highest inter-EP agreement was between EP-A and EP-B (0.783), lowest between EP-A and EP-C (0.651).
  • No physician listed the mode of dying as the UCOD, indicating adherence to guidelines.

Conclusions:

  • Significant variability exists among EPs in determining the UCOD for death certificates.
  • Despite inter-physician differences, the EPs demonstrated fewer errors compared to previous studies, suggesting improved practices.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cause of deathDeath certificatesEmergency medicineMortality

More Related Videos

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index06:55

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index

Published on: January 8, 2020

15.0K
Study of Experimental Organ Donation Models for Lung Transplantation08:56

Study of Experimental Organ Donation Models for Lung Transplantation

Published on: March 15, 2024

2.0K

Related Concept Videos

Coronary Artery Disease III: Clinical Manifestations01:30

Coronary Artery Disease III: Clinical Manifestations

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a primary health risk worldwide, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The condition arises from the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques within the coronary arteries, resulting in diminished blood supply to the heart muscle.The clinical manifestations of CAD vary widely, from asymptomatic stages to severe, life-threatening conditions. Understanding these manifestations is crucial for early diagnosis and effective management.Angina Pectoris: The Warning...
295
Methods of Documentation VII: EMR01:30

Methods of Documentation VII: EMR

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) primarily center around electronically documenting patients' health information within a single healthcare organization or practice. They contain essential clinical data related to a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, lab results, and other pertinent information relevant to the specific encounter or episode of care. EMRs are designed to streamline documentation and workflow processes within individual healthcare...
1.3K
Methods of Documentation V: CBE01:23

Methods of Documentation V: CBE

Charting by Exception, or CBE, is a method of documentation used in healthcare, particularly in nursing, that focuses on documenting only significant or abnormal findings rather than recording every detail. This approach aims to streamline the documentation process, improve efficiency, and ensure that healthcare providers can quickly identify deviations from normalcy in patient assessments.
In CBE, healthcare professionals establish predefined standards of practice that define what constitutes...
1.4K
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups01:20

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Survival analysis is a cornerstone of medical research, used to evaluate the time until an event of interest occurs, such as death, disease recurrence, or recovery. Unlike standard statistical methods, survival analysis is particularly adept at handling censored data—instances where the event has not occurred for some participants by the end of the study or remains unobserved. To address these unique challenges, specialized techniques like the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and...
525
Causality in Epidemiology01:21

Causality in Epidemiology

Causality or causation is a fundamental concept in epidemiology, vital for understanding the relationships between various factors and health outcomes. Despite its importance, there's no single, universally accepted definition of causality within the discipline. Drawing from a systematic review, causality in epidemiology encompasses several definitions, including production, necessary and sufficient, sufficient-component, counterfactual, and probabilistic models. Each has its strengths and...
1.4K
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II01:28

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II

The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
1.1K