The death certificate is a permanent record of death that assists in the settlement of the deceased’s estate and provides family members with closure, peace of mind, and documentation of the cause of death. In addition, it is an important source of statistical data that helps to determine death trends and to set public health goals.

The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics is requesting physicians’ cooperation in improving the accuracy and timeliness of completion of death certificates. Each day the office receives numerous death certificates from funeral homes that are returned because the attending physician provided incomplete or incorrect information. The errors cause unusually long delays in the process of the filing of death certificates, and result in further delays for family members of the decedent in settling the estate and executing other legal duties.

Physicians should be aware that if death was due to an injury, the required sections 23a through 29 and 30a through 30f of the death certificate are to be filled out legibly, accurately and completely, in order to comply with Kentucky Revised Statutes 213.076 and 213.078. To assist physicians, the Office of Vital Statistics offers the “Physicians’ Handbook on Medical Certification of Death” and has developed a pamphlet entitled, “What Every Physician Should Know About Certifying The Death Certificate”. Both are available upon request and can also be accessed on-line. These tools can be useful in preparing the sections of the death certificate required by physicians and funeral directors.

To find out more or to schedule training, physicians can contact the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics, 275 East Main St., 1E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621, or call 502/564-4212 for Quality Assurance
Representatives Troy Chisholm (ext. 3980) or Sheryl Meador (ext. 4425).

(Reprinted from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure Newsletter, Spring 2007).

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