Funeral directors handbook death registration

Rothwell, former Director of the Division of Vital Statistics, provided input andreview. This handbook updates the previous version revision.

Information onelectronic death registration has been added to this version, along with instructions forobtaining death certificate information in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner. Sally C. Curtin, M. Anderson, Ph. IntroductionThis handbook is designed to acquaint funeral directors with the vital registration systemin the United States and to provide instructions for completing and filing records of deathand fetal death. The responsibilities of the funeral director are detailed on managingthese certificates and reports and obtaining proper authorization for final disposition ofthe body.

Background information is included on the importance of these documentsfor legal and statistical purposes, as well as specific instructions for obtaining necessaryinformation. The funeral director is responsible for filing an accurate and complete death certificatewith the proper registration official, although state laws vary in specific requirements.

The current death certificate Appendix I contains personal information about thedecedent, medical certification, the signature of the physician or the medical examiner orcoroner, and information on disposal of the remains. The fetal death report Appendix II contains information about the fetus and parents, the cause of fetal death, and othermedical and health information relating to the pregnancy and delivery.

Importance of death registration and fetaldeath reportingThe death certificate is a permanent legal record of the fact of death of a person.

Itis also needed for a variety of medical and health-related research efforts. The death certificate provides important information about the decedent e. This information isused in the application for insurance benefits, settlement of pension claims, and transferof title of real and personal property.

The certificate is considered prima facie evidenceof the fact of death and can be introduced in court as evidence when a question about thedeath arises. Statistical data from death certificates are used to identify public health problems andmeasure the results of programs established to alleviate these problems.

These dataare a necessary foundation on which to base effective public health programs. Healthdepartments could not perform their duties without such data. Mortality statistics are of considerable value to physicians and medical science becausethey can be used to identify disease etiologies and evaluate diagnostic techniques.

Demographers use mortality statistics in combination with natality statistics to estimateand project population sizes, which are important in forecasting and program planning.

Statistical data derived from death certificates can only be as accurate as the informationprovided on the certificate. All persons concerned with the registration of deaths muststrive for: Accuracy Promptness in reporting CompletenessFurthermore, detailed information is of greater use than more general information.

The fetal death report is recommended as a legally required statistical report designedprimarily to collect information for statistical and research purposes.

In most states,these reports are not maintained in the official files of the state health department, andcertified copies of these reports are rarely issued.

However, in a number of states, thefetal death record is a legal certificate. The record, whether a certificate or a report,provides valuable health and research data. The information is used to study the causes ofpoor pregnancy outcomes, and to examine the consequences of possible environmentaland occupational exposures of the parents on the fetus.

These data are also essential inplanning and evaluating prenatal care services and obstetrical programs. The original records are filed in the states and stored in accordancewith state practice. Each state has a contract with the National Center for Health Statistics NCHS that allows the federal government to use information from the state records toproduce national vital statistics.

To ensure consistency in NVSS, NCHS provides leadership and coordination in thedevelopment of standard certificates and reports that the states then use as models. Thesecertificates and reports are revised periodically to ensure that the data collected relate tocurrent and anticipated needs. In the revision process, stakeholders review and evaluateeach item on the standard certificate for its registration, legal, genealogical, statistical,medical, and research value.

Each item is evaluated thoroughly, with emphasis onanswering the following questions: Is the item needed for legal, research, statistical, or public health programs? Is the item collectible with reasonable completeness and accuracy? Is the vital statistics system the best source for this information? Associations on the stakeholder panel that recommended the current U.

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