The effect of education on ‘how to write the death certificate’ for resident trainees of the emergency department

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the most common errors on death certificates written by resident trainees of the emergency department and evaluated the effects of education on how to write a death certificate. METHODS: A casebook of 31 deaths was prepared based on actual death cases in the emergency room in 2016. Ten residents completed 31 death certificates for the death casebook without any prior notice and then received education on ‘How to write the death certificate.’ They completed the death certificates again for the same casebook after receiving the education and the number of errors on all death certificates was again determined and divided into major and minor errors. The average number of error types was compared before and after the education. RESULTS: Major errors occurred in 55% of all death certificates, but decreased to 32% after education. Minor errors decreased from 81% before education to 54% after education. The most common major error was ‘unacceptable cause of death’ (mean±standard deviation [SD], 10.2±8.2), and the most common minor error was ‘absence of time interval’ (mean±SD, 24.0±7.7), followed by ‘absence of other significant conditions’ (mean±SD, 14.6±6.1) before education. CONCLUSION: Education on ‘how to write a death certificate’ can help reduce errors on death certificates and improve the quality of death certificates.