Study on death certificates and postmortem examination certificates written by Korean emergency physicians

Area of Science:

• Medical Law
• Public Health Policy
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Death statistics are crucial for national health and safety policies.
• Emergency physicians issue death certificates (DC) for in-hospital deaths and postmortem examination certificates (PEC) for out-of-hospital deaths.
• This study examined the practices, criteria, and physician experiences related to DC and PEC completion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current conditions and criteria for writing death certificates (DC) and postmortem examination certificates (PEC).
• To understand the writing environment and the experiences of physicians completing these certificates.
• To identify challenges and potential improvements in the death certification process.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 229 emergency physicians regarding their experience and demographic data.
• Collected data on certificate writing, including opinions on CPR cases, time/place of death, and perceived difficulties.
• Assessed physician satisfaction, time allocation, and legal issues related to death certificates.

Main Results:

• Significant physician disagreement exists regarding the criteria for issuing DCs/PECs for CPR patients.
• A majority of physicians (76.9%) reported insufficient time for certificate completion, with 45% taking less than 30 minutes.
• 76% experienced complaints related to DCs, and 7% faced legal issues; 93.3% supported a coroner system in South Korea.

Conclusions:

• Current standards for writing death certificates (DC) and postmortem examination certificates (PEC) lack uniformity among physicians.
• The process of writing DCs and PECs is perceived as burdensome by emergency physicians.
• Implementing a separate DC and PEC system, national data networks, and a coroner system is recommended for South Korea.