Factors Associated with Major Errors on Death Certificates

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Accurate death certificates are crucial for mortality statistics and public health.
• Errors in death certificates can misrepresent causes of death, impacting epidemiological data.
• Identifying factors contributing to major errors is essential for improving data quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the types and frequency of errors on death certificates.
• To identify factors associated with major errors in death certificate completion.
• To provide insights for reducing inaccuracies in cause-of-death reporting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 548 death certificates from a university training hospital over six months in 2020.
• Classification of errors as major or minor based on their impact on determining the cause of death.
• Comparison of death certificates with major errors (ME group) versus those without (non-ME group).

Main Results:

• 127 out of 548 death certificates (23.2%) had major errors.
• The ME group exhibited a higher number of listed causes of death and total errors compared to the non-ME group.
• Causes of death such as cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, digestive disease, respiratory disease, external causes, and others had a higher risk of major errors than cancer.

Conclusions:

• Cancer as a cause of death was associated with the lowest incidence of major errors and fewer listed causes.
• Increased number of causes of death on a certificate correlates with a higher likelihood of major errors.
• Continuous education and feedback for healthcare professionals issuing death certificates are recommended to minimize major errors.