Accuracy in medical certification of cause of death: a study in a tertiary health care centre

A case scenario for filling up mock Medical Certificate of Cause of Death [MCCD] was given to the 294 doctors working in the tertiary health care teaching hospital. After filling up, these certificates were evaluated and the awareness and skill among the doctors in accurately and completely documenting variables of medical part in MCCDs was assessed. Immediate cause of death and time interval between immediate cause and death was written correctly by 47.28% and 22.79% doctors respectively. Antecedent/underlying cause of death and time interval between antecedent/underlying cause and death was mentioned correctly by 69.05% and 16.33% doctors respectively. First and second associated significant condition was filled correctly by 68.71% and 63.95% doctors respectively while the time interval between first and second associated significant condition and death was reported correctly by only 15.99% and 16.33% doctors respectively. The study also revealed that there is conceptual misunderstanding of the terms “cause of death” and “mode of death” among the participant doctors.