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Colombia Medica (Cali, Colombia) Mar 2018To evaluate the quality of the certification of general death and cancer in Colombia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quality of the certification of general death and cancer in Colombia.
METHODS
Validity indicators were described for each province and the cities of Bogotá, Cali, Manizales, Pasto and Bucaramanga. A factorial analysis of principal components was carried out in order to identify non-obvious relationships.
RESULTS
Were analyzed 984,159 deaths, among them there were 164,542 deaths due to cancer. 93.7% of the general mortality was well certified. The predominant errors were signs, symptoms and ill-defined conditions. 92.8% of cancer mortality was well certified. The predominant errors were due to poorly defined cancer sites.
CONCLUSIONS
Certification of quality indicators in Colombia has improved. Given the good performance of the quality indicators for certificating general death and cancer, it is considered that this is a valid input for the estimation of cancer incidences.
Topics: Colombia; Death Certificates; Humans; Incidence; Neoplasms; Principal Component Analysis; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Registries
PubMed: 29983472
DOI: 10.25100/cm.v49i1.3155 -
BMJ Global Health Dec 2020Full notification of deaths and compilation of good quality cause of death data are core, sequential and essential components of a functional civil registration and... (Review)
Review
Full notification of deaths and compilation of good quality cause of death data are core, sequential and essential components of a functional civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system. In collaboration with the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG), trial mortality surveillance activities were established at sites in Alotau District in Milne Bay Province, Tambul-Nebilyer District in Western Highlands Province and Talasea District in West New Britain Province.Provincial Health Authorities trialled strategies to improve completeness of death notification and implement an automated verbal autopsy methodology, including use of different notification agents and paper or mobile phone methods. Completeness of death notification improved from virtually 0% to 20% in Talasea, 25% and 75% using mobile phone and paper notification strategies, respectively, in Alotau, and 69% in Tambul-Nebilyer. We discuss the challenges and lessons learnt with implementing these activities in PNG, including logistical considerations and incentives.Our experience indicates that strategies to maximise completeness of notification should be tailored to the local context, which in PNG includes significant geographical, cultural and political diversity. We report that health workers have great potential to improve the CRVS programme in PNG through managing the collection of notification and verbal autopsy data. In light of our findings, and in consultation with the main government CRVS stakeholders and the National CRVS Committee, we make recommendations regarding the requirements at each level of the health system to optimise mortality surveillance in order to generate the essential health intelligence required for policy and planning.
Topics: Autopsy; Government Programs; Health Workforce; Humans; Papua New Guinea; Vital Statistics
PubMed: 33272944
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003747 -
NCHS Data Brief Sep 2016Data from the National Vital Statistics System •There were 3.978 million births in the United States in 2015, down less than 1% from 2014. •The 2015 U.S. general...
Data from the National Vital Statistics System •There were 3.978 million births in the United States in 2015, down less than 1% from 2014. •The 2015 U.S. general fertility rate (births per 1,000 women aged 15-44) was down 1% from 2014. •Birth rates dropped in 2015 to record lows among women under age 30 and rose for those aged 30-44. •The cesarean delivery rate declined to 32.0% of births in 2015; the preterm birth rate rose slightly to 9.63% from 2014 to 2015. This report presents several key demographic and maternal and infant health indicators using 2015 final birth data. Trends in general fertility rates, age-specific birth rates, cesarean and low-risk cesarean delivery, and preterm birth rates are presented. Data are from the national vital statistics birth files.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Birth Rate; Cesarean Section; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Multiple Birth Offspring; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Adolescence; Premature Birth; United States
PubMed: 27648876
DOI: No ID Found -
National Vital Statistics Reports :... Nov 2017Objectives-This report presents final 2015 data on U.S. deaths, death rates, life expectancy, infant mortality, and trends, by selected characteristics such as age, sex,...
Objectives-This report presents final 2015 data on U.S. deaths, death rates, life expectancy, infant mortality, and trends, by selected characteristics such as age, sex, Hispanic origin and race, state of residence, and cause of death. Methods-Information reported on death certificates, which are completed by funeral directors, attending physicians, medical examiners, and coroners, is presented in descriptive tabulations. The original records are filed in state registration offices. Statistical information is compiled in a national database through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program of the National Center for Health Statistics. Causes of death are processed in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. Results-In 2015, a total of 2,712,630 deaths were reported in the United States. The age-adjusted death rate was 733.1 deaths per 100,000 U.S. standard population, an increase of 1.2% from the 2014 rate. Life expectancy at birth was 78.8 years, a decrease of 0.1 year from 2014. Life expectancy decreased from 2014 to 2015 for non-Hispanic white males (0.2 year), non-Hispanic white females (0.1), non-Hispanic black males (0.4), non-Hispanic black females (0.1), Hispanic males (0.1), and Hispanic females (0.2). Age-specific death rates increased in 2015 from 2014 for age groups 5-14, 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 55-64, 65-74, and 85 and over. The 15 leading causes of death in 2015 remained the same as in 2014. The infant mortality rate, 5.90 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2015, did not change significantly from the rate of 5.82 in 2014. Conclusions-The age-adjusted death rate increased for the first time since 2005. Life expectancy for the total population decreased for the first time since 1993.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cause of Death; Child; Child, Preschool; Ethnicity; Female; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Life Expectancy; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; United States; Vital Statistics; Young Adult
PubMed: 29235985
DOI: No ID Found -
Canadian Journal of Public Health =... Oct 2022Attributing individual deaths to extreme heat events (EHE) in Canada and elsewhere is important for understanding the risk factors, protective interventions, and burden...
Attributing individual deaths to extreme heat events (EHE) in Canada and elsewhere is important for understanding the risk factors, protective interventions, and burden of mortality associated with climate change. However, there is currently no single mechanism for identifying individual deaths due to EHE and different agencies have taken different approaches, including (1) vital statistics coding based on medical certificates of death, (2) probabilistic methods, and (3) enhanced surveillance. The 2018 EHE in Montréal provides an excellent case study to compare EHE deaths identified by these different approaches. There were 353 deaths recorded in the vital statistics data over an 8-day period, of which 102 were potentially attributed to the EHE by at least one approach and 251 were not attributed by any approach. Only nine of the 102 deaths were attributed to the EHE by all three approaches, 23 were attributed by two approaches, and 70 were attributed by only one approach. Given that there were approximately 50 excess deaths during the EHE, it remains unclear exactly which of the total 353 deaths should be attributed to the extreme temperatures. These results highlight the need for a more systematic and cooperative approach to EHE mortality in Canada, which will continue to increase as the climate changes.
Topics: Canada; Climate Change; Extreme Heat; Humans; Vital Statistics
PubMed: 35951167
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00672-2 -
Journal of Epidemiology and Global... Sep 2021The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on government services in many areas, including Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS). However, the pandemic...
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on government services in many areas, including Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS). However, the pandemic has also highlighted the importance of recording of mortality and causes of death, with some potentially positive impacts for longer term CRVS strengthening, including: (1) increasing online provision of registration services (2) reporting of mortality statistics from settings which had not previously done so (3) improved intersectoral cooperation, particularly with the health sector, improving the ability to record deaths and (4) increased awareness among governments and public of the importance of mortality statistics. Now, it is pressing for national governments, and international organizations working to strengthen CRVS systems, to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies adopted over the last year, and use lessons learnt to catalyse broader sustainable CRVS improvement strategies, providing governments with essential data on mortality and causes of death into the future.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; Registries; SARS-CoV-2; Vital Statistics
PubMed: 34270182
DOI: 10.2991/jegh.k.210531.001 -
JAMA Network Open Feb 2023Reducing maternal mortality is a global objective. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is low in Hong Kong, China, but there has been no local confidential enquiry into...
IMPORTANCE
Reducing maternal mortality is a global objective. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is low in Hong Kong, China, but there has been no local confidential enquiry into maternal death, and underreporting is likely.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the causes and timing of maternal death in Hong Kong and identify deaths and their causes that were missed by the Hong Kong vital statistics database.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This cross-sectional study was conducted among all 8 public maternity hospitals in Hong Kong. Maternal deaths were identified using prespecified search criteria, including a registered delivery episode between 2000 to 2019 and a registered death episode within 365 days after delivery. Cases as reported by the vital statistics were then compared with the deaths found in the hospital-based cohort. Data were analyzed from June to July 2022.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The outcomes of interest were maternal mortality, defined as death during pregnancy or within 42 days after ending the pregnancy, and late maternal death, defined as death more than 42 days but less than 1 year after end of the pregnancy.
RESULTS
A total of 173 maternal deaths (median [IQR] age at childbirth, 33 [29-36] years) were found, including 74 maternal mortality events (45 direct deaths and 29 indirect deaths) and 99 late maternal deaths. Of 173 maternal deaths, 66 women (38.2%) of individuals had preexisting medical conditions. For maternal mortality, the MMR ranged from 1.63 to 16.78 deaths per 100 000 live births. Suicide was the leading cause of direct death (15 of 45 deaths [33.3%]). Stroke and cancer deaths were the most common causes of indirect death (8 of 29 deaths [27.6%] each). A total of 63 individuals (85.1%) died during the postpartum period. In the theme-based approach analysis, the leading causes of death were suicide (15 of 74 deaths [20.3%]) and hypertensive disorders (10 of 74 deaths [13.5%]). The vital statistics in Hong Kong missed 67 maternal mortality events (90.5%). All suicides and amniotic fluid embolisms, 90.0% of hypertensive disorders, 50.0% of obstetric hemorrhages, and 96.6% of indirect deaths were missed by the vital statistics. The late maternal death ratio ranged from 0 to 16.36 deaths per 100 000 live births. The leading causes of late maternal death were cancer (40 of 99 deaths [40.4%]) and suicide (22 of 99 deaths [22.2%]).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this cross-sectional study of maternal mortality in Hong Kong, suicide and hypertensive disorder were the dominant causes of death. The current vital statistics methods were unable to capture most of the maternal mortality events found in this hospital-based cohort. Adding a pregnancy checkbox to death certificates and setting up a confidential enquiry into maternal death could be possible solutions to reveal the hidden deaths.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Hong Kong; Maternal Death; Maternal Mortality; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Suicide
PubMed: 36811857
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.0429 -
Journal of Health and Social Behavior Dec 2022Postmortem diagnostic overshadowing-defined as inaccurately reporting a disability as the underlying cause of death-occurs for over half of adults with cerebral palsy....
Postmortem diagnostic overshadowing-defined as inaccurately reporting a disability as the underlying cause of death-occurs for over half of adults with cerebral palsy. This practice obscures cause of death trends, reducing the effectiveness of efforts to reduce premature mortality among this marginalized health population. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System 2005 to 2017 U.S. Multiple Cause of Death files (N = 29,996), we identify factors (sociodemographic characteristics, aspects of the context and processing of death, and comorbidities) associated with the inaccurate reporting of cerebral palsy as the underlying cause of death. Results suggest that inaccurate reporting is associated with heightened contexts of clinical uncertainty, the false equivalence of disability and health, and potential racial-ethnic bias. Ending postmortem diagnostic overshadowing will require training on disability and health for those certifying death certificates and efforts to redress ableist death certification policies.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Death Certificates; Cause of Death; Cerebral Palsy; Clinical Decision-Making; Uncertainty
PubMed: 35266426
DOI: 10.1177/00221465221078313 -
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly... May 2022The majority of homicides (79%) and suicides (53%) in the United States involved a firearm in 2020. High firearm homicide and suicide rates and corresponding inequities...
INTRODUCTION
The majority of homicides (79%) and suicides (53%) in the United States involved a firearm in 2020. High firearm homicide and suicide rates and corresponding inequities by race and ethnicity and poverty level represent important public health concerns. This study examined changes in firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates coinciding with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
METHODS
National vital statistics and population data were integrated with urbanization and poverty measures at the county level. Population-based firearm homicide and suicide rates were examined by age, sex, race and ethnicity, geographic area, level of urbanization, and level of poverty.
RESULTS
From 2019 to 2020, the overall firearm homicide rate increased 34.6%, from 4.6 to 6.1 per 100,000 persons. The largest increases occurred among non-Hispanic Black or African American males aged 10-44 years and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) males aged 25-44 years. Rates of firearm homicide were lowest and increased least at the lowest poverty level and were higher and showed larger increases at higher poverty levels. The overall firearm suicide rate remained relatively unchanged from 2019 to 2020 (7.9 to 8.1); however, in some populations, including AI/AN males aged 10-44 years, rates did increase.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the firearm homicide rate in the United States reached its highest level since 1994, with substantial increases among several population subgroups. These increases have widened disparities in rates by race and ethnicity and poverty level. Several increases in firearm suicide rates were also observed. Implementation of comprehensive strategies employing proven approaches that address underlying economic, physical, and social conditions contributing to the risks for violence and suicide is urgently needed to reduce these rates and disparities.
Topics: COVID-19; Cause of Death; Firearms; Homicide; Humans; Male; Pandemics; Population Surveillance; Suicide; United States; Vital Signs
PubMed: 35550497
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7119e1 -
Bulletin of the World Health... Dec 2018
Topics: Delivery of Health Care; Government Programs; Humans; Registries; Systems Integration; Vital Statistics
PubMed: 30505035
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.18.213090