Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand
Abstract Background Although death certificates (DCs) provide valuable health information which may help to guide local health policies and priorities, there is little information concerning their validity in Thailand. First-year general practitioners (GPs) have a major role in DC completion, especi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-018-3289-1 |
| _version_ | 1817993490845401088 |
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| author | Chaiwat Washirasaksiri Prateep Raksasagulwong Charoen Chouriyagune Pochamana Phisalprapa Weerachai Srivanichakorn |
| author_facet | Chaiwat Washirasaksiri Prateep Raksasagulwong Charoen Chouriyagune Pochamana Phisalprapa Weerachai Srivanichakorn |
| author_sort | Chaiwat Washirasaksiri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Although death certificates (DCs) provide valuable health information which may help to guide local health policies and priorities, there is little information concerning their validity in Thailand. First-year general practitioners (GPs) have a major role in DC completion, especially in provincial general hospitals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and factors influencing the accuracy of DCs completed by first-year GPs in Thailand, compared with the cause of death (COD) derived from medical records by experts. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at 14 provincial general hospitals in Thailand during the June 2011 to May 2012 study period. Medical records and DCs completed by first-year GPs who graduated from 16 Thai medical schools were sampled. The cause of death recorded on the DCs was compared with the medical conditions and histories derived from patient medical records. A cross-sectional survey of the 210 GPs who completed the DCs reviewed in this study was also conducted. Respondent GPs’ demographic characteristics, factors associated with COD, and COD coding system were evaluated. Results Five hundred and sixty-three medical records and corresponding DCs were included. Of those, 36.9% of DCs were found to be correct. Common mistakes included incorrect sequence of events leading to death (32.4%), and mode of death use (26.2%). Of the 210 GPs, 155 questionnaires were completed and returned. The mean time spent on recording COD and completing DCs in the medical school curriculum was 2.1 ± 0.9 h and only 27.7% of participants had experience in completing DCs by themselves during medical school. Mean medical school GPA was significantly higher in the correctly completed DC GPs group than in the incorrectly completed DC GPs group (3.3 ± 0.4 vs. 3.2 ± 0.3; p = 0.03). However, no significant difference was found for other factors associated with COD between groups. Conclusions This is the first study documenting gaps and disparities in DC accuracy, and factors influencing completion of DCs among first-year GPs in Thailand, based on a clinical assessment of medical records. GPs made errors on 63.1% of DCs. This finding suggests that proven education, system-related support, and additional training interventions specific to DC completion are required. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:39:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b60ee812cce34f21b3f9145ead941d2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T01:39:40Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-b60ee812cce34f21b3f9145ead941d2e2022-12-22T02:19:48ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632018-06-011811810.1186/s12913-018-3289-1Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in ThailandChaiwat Washirasaksiri0Prateep Raksasagulwong1Charoen Chouriyagune2Pochamana Phisalprapa3Weerachai Srivanichakorn4Division of Ambulatory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDivision of Ambulatory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDivision of Ambulatory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDivision of Ambulatory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol UniversityAbstract Background Although death certificates (DCs) provide valuable health information which may help to guide local health policies and priorities, there is little information concerning their validity in Thailand. First-year general practitioners (GPs) have a major role in DC completion, especially in provincial general hospitals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and factors influencing the accuracy of DCs completed by first-year GPs in Thailand, compared with the cause of death (COD) derived from medical records by experts. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at 14 provincial general hospitals in Thailand during the June 2011 to May 2012 study period. Medical records and DCs completed by first-year GPs who graduated from 16 Thai medical schools were sampled. The cause of death recorded on the DCs was compared with the medical conditions and histories derived from patient medical records. A cross-sectional survey of the 210 GPs who completed the DCs reviewed in this study was also conducted. Respondent GPs’ demographic characteristics, factors associated with COD, and COD coding system were evaluated. Results Five hundred and sixty-three medical records and corresponding DCs were included. Of those, 36.9% of DCs were found to be correct. Common mistakes included incorrect sequence of events leading to death (32.4%), and mode of death use (26.2%). Of the 210 GPs, 155 questionnaires were completed and returned. The mean time spent on recording COD and completing DCs in the medical school curriculum was 2.1 ± 0.9 h and only 27.7% of participants had experience in completing DCs by themselves during medical school. Mean medical school GPA was significantly higher in the correctly completed DC GPs group than in the incorrectly completed DC GPs group (3.3 ± 0.4 vs. 3.2 ± 0.3; p = 0.03). However, no significant difference was found for other factors associated with COD between groups. Conclusions This is the first study documenting gaps and disparities in DC accuracy, and factors influencing completion of DCs among first-year GPs in Thailand, based on a clinical assessment of medical records. GPs made errors on 63.1% of DCs. This finding suggests that proven education, system-related support, and additional training interventions specific to DC completion are required.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-018-3289-1ThailandDeath certificateGeneral practitionerGPQualityInfluencing factors |
| spellingShingle | Chaiwat Washirasaksiri Prateep Raksasagulwong Charoen Chouriyagune Pochamana Phisalprapa Weerachai Srivanichakorn Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand BMC Health Services Research Thailand Death certificate General practitioner GP Quality Influencing factors |
| title | Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand |
| title_full | Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand |
| title_fullStr | Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand |
| title_short | Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand |
| title_sort | accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first year general practitioners in thailand |
| topic | Thailand Death certificate General practitioner GP Quality Influencing factors |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-018-3289-1 |
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