Accuracy of death certification in an autopsied population with specific attention to malignant neoplasms and vascular diseases. Am J Epidemiol. 1980;111(1):99-112. PubMed PMID: WOS:A1980JB30800011

autopsied population with specific attention to malignant neoplasms and vas-cular diseases. Am J Epidemiol 111:99-112,1980. Accuracy of certification of underlying cause of death and Implications for US mortality statistics were assessed among 257 autopsied cases collected during the calendar year 1970 at a short-stay general hospital In Atlanta, GA. Cllnicopathologic cause of death (CPCD) certificates, with assignment of un-derlying cause of death based on autopsy findings In combination with perti-nent clinical data, were prepared by a pathologist and were employed as a standard of comparison against which the accuracy of the underlying cause of death on the original death certificate was measured. Results suggest that autopsy findings are not necessarily used to supplement clinical data In filling out death certificates. Improper recording of underlying cause of death was found in 42 % of the autopsied cases. Malignant neoplasms were found to be underreported and vascular diseases overreported, each by approximately 10%, when original certificates were compared to CPCD certificates. The con