‘Need to train docs to certify cause of death correctly’
MUMBAI: Recording the cause of death accurately on death certificates is crucial to know the actual all-cause mortality. In a pandemic, correctly filled death certificates can present the real impact of the widespread infection. However, this crucial piece of a document known as the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is often filled incorrectly by medical practitioners. The government and the medical fraternity are now devising ways in which doctors can be trained in accurately certifying deaths.
“Accurate cause of deaths is important to know the disease burden as well as all-cause mortality,” said Dr Avinash Supe, head of Covid death audit committee. “This data is crucial to prepare healthcare infrastructure and plan targeted interventions. But there is a dire need of training doctors to understand, certify and fill the cause of death correctly,” he said.
Medical experts say that all deaths eventually occur due to a cardio-respiratory failure, but the cause and proper sequence of events have to be accurately noted. For instance, if a patient with severe diabetes has heart failure, the certificate could mention heart failure following a myocardial infarction because of uncontrolled diabetes.
In 2016, the state government, civic body and Tata Memorial Centre collaborated with Bloomberg Data for Health initiative to develop resources to train doctors in writing MCCD. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided technical help on the project.