The rate that underlying causes of death for vital statistics are derived from the underlying causes of death recorded at death certificates: (a study on the death certificates issued from three university hospitals)

Park, Woo Sung; Park, Seok Gun; Jung, Chul Won; Kim, Woo Chul; Tak, Woo Taek; Kim, Boo Yeon; Seo, Sun Won; Kim, Kwang Hwan; Suh, Jin Sook; Pu, Yoo Kyung

Journal of Korean Society Quality Assurance Health Care 2004;11(1): 4.
Published online June 30, 2004.

사망진단서(사체검안서) 상의 선행사인으로부터 사망통계의 원사인이 선정되는 비율: (3개 대학병원에서 교부된 사망진단서를 중심으로)

박우성¹, 박석건², 정철원³, 김우철⁴, 탁우택⁵, 김부연⁶, 서순원⁷, 김광환⁷, 서진숙⁸, 부유경⁹

¹단국대학교 의과대학 소아과
²단국대학교 의과대학 핵의학과
³성균관대학교 의과대학 내과
⁴인하대학교 의과대학 방사선종양학과
⁵동국대학교 의과대학 신장내과
⁶통계청
⁷단국대학교병원 의무기록과
⁸삼성서울병원 의우기록과
⁹인하대학교병원 의료정보과

The rate that underlying causes of death for vital statistics are derived from the underlying causes of death recorded at death certificates: (a study on the death certificates issued from three university hospitals)

Woo Sung Park¹, Seok Gun Park², Chul Won Jung³, Woo Chul Kim⁴, Woo Taek Tak⁵, Boo Yeon Kim⁶, Sun Won Seo⁷, Kwang Hwan Kim⁷, Jin Sook Suh⁸, Yoo Kyung Pu⁹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Dankook University Medical College
²Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dankook University Medical College
³Department of Internal Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine
⁴Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Inha University
⁵Department of Nephrology, Dongguk University Medical College
⁶Ministry of Statistics
⁷Department of Medical Record, Dankook University
⁸Department of Medical Record, Samsung Seoul Hospital
⁹Department of Medical information, Inha University Hospital

Abstract

Background
To examine the problems involved in writing practice of death certificates, we compared the determination of underlying cause of death for vital statistics using recorded underlying cause of death in issued death statistics.
Methods
We collected 688 mortality certificates issue in year of 2,000 from 3 university hospitals. And we also collected vital statistics from ministry of statistics. The causes of death were coded by experienced medical record specialists. And causes of death determined at ministry of statistics for national vital statistics were mapped to causes of death recorded at each death certificates. The rate that underlying causes of death for vital statistics were derived from underlying causes of death recorded at issued death certificates were analysed.
Results
64.5% of underlying cause of death for could be derived from underlying cause of death recorded at issued death certificates, 8.6% derived from intermediate cause of death, and 3.9% derived from direct cause of death. In 23% of cases, underlying cause of death could not be derived using issued death certificates. The rate that underlying cause of death for vital statistics could be derived from underlying cause of death recorded at death certificates was different between 3 university hospitals. And the rate was also different between death certificates and postmortem certificates. We classified the causes of death using 21 major categories. The rate was different between diseases or conditions that caused death too.
Conclusion
When we examined the correctness of death certificate writing practice using above methods, correctness of writing could not be told as satisfactory. There was difference in correctness of writing between hospitals, between death certificates and postmortem certificates, and between diseases and conditions that caused death. With this results, we suggested some strategy to improve the correctness of death certificate writing practice.

Key words death certificates;mortality statistics;cause of death;