METHODOLOGY Validation of verbal autopsy procedures for adult deaths in China

Background Vital registration of causes of death in China is incomplete with poor coverage of medical certification. Information on the leading causes of mortality will continue to rely on verbal autopsy (VA) methods. A new international VA form is being considered for data collection in China, but it first needs to be validated to determine its operating characteristics. Methods Detailed medical records and clinical evidence for 3290 deaths (mostly adults) among residents of six cities representative of the urban Chinese population were reviewed by a panel of physicians and coded by experts to establish a reference underlying cause of death. Independently, families of the deceased were interviewed using a structured symptomatic questionnaire and a separate death certificate was prepared for each matching case (2102). Validity of the VA procedure was assessed using standard measurement criteria of sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value. Results VA methods perform reasonably well in identifying deaths from several leading causes of adult deaths including stroke, several major cancer sites (lung, liver