What is the procedure for completing a death certificate?

From the Guidelines

To fill out a death certificate, it is essential to gather all necessary information about the deceased and complete the medical portion accurately, particularly the cause of death section, which should be classified into one of three categories: cardiovascular death, noncardiovascular death, or undetermined cause of death, as outlined in the 2014 ACC/AHA key data elements and definitions for cardiovascular endpoint events in clinical trials 1. When filling out a death certificate, the following steps should be taken:

• Gather all necessary information about the deceased, including full legal name, social security number, date of birth, place of birth, residence address, occupation, education level, parents' names, marital status, and spouse's name if applicable.
• Determine the date, time, and place of death, as well as the cause of death broken down into immediate cause and underlying causes.
• Only authorized individuals, such as physicians, medical examiners, or coroners, can complete the medical portion of the certificate, particularly the cause of death section.
• The death certificate should be filled out completely, accurately, and legibly, avoiding abbreviations.
• The immediate cause of death should be listed on line A, with any conditions leading to that cause listed sequentially below, and the approximate interval between onset and death should be noted for each cause, as recommended by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association task force on clinical data standards 1. Some important considerations when filling out a death certificate include:
• The classification of death into one of three categories: cardiovascular death, noncardiovascular death, or undetermined cause of death, as this can impact the accuracy of public health statistics and estate settlement.
• The use of autopsy reports to assess the cause of death, as they can provide valuable information and help ensure the accuracy of the death certificate, as noted in the 2014 ACC/AHA key data elements and definitions for cardiovascular endpoint events in clinical trials 1.
• The importance of filing the death certificate with the local vital records office within 72 hours of death, as this can impact the timely settlement of estate and insurance claims. It is also important to note that death certificates are legal documents used for estate settlement, insurance claims, and public health statistics, and therefore accuracy is crucial, as emphasized in the guidelines for completion of a death certificate 1.

From the Research

Filling a Death Certificate

To fill a death certificate, it is essential to understand the importance of accurate and clear information. The primary care physician is often responsible for completing the death certificate and should have an explicit understanding of how to determine the cause and manner of death 2.

Key Considerations

• The cause of death should be determined using succinct, clear language.
• When doubt exists or an external cause of death is a possibility, the coroner or the medical examiner should be contacted 2.
• The autopsy can play a crucial role in determining the cause of death and can provide valuable information for public health strategies and bereaved families 3, 4.
• Advances in diagnostic technology have not reduced the value of the autopsy, and it remains a vital component in the assurance of good medical care 4.

Autopsy and Death Certification

• The autopsy can help improve the completeness and reliability of death certification 3.
• Autopsies can reveal major diagnoses that were missed clinically, and this information can be used to improve medical knowledge and practice 3, 4.
• The historically constricted forensic pathology workforce pipeline can be addressed by reclaiming the autopsy as the practice of medicine and providing funding for autopsies 5.