How to improve mortality statistics nationally and internationally?

Abstract

Cause-of-death statistics is an essential part of health information system. Finland has collected statistics on causes of death for more than 250 years. Since 1936 medical experts at Statistics Finland has been in charge of the coding. Changes in ICD-classification and coding praxis as well as the use of different standard populations and short-lists hampers time trend analyses and international benchmarking. The five Nordic countries and three Baltic countries has made cause-of-death coding comparisons since 2001. A random sample of death certificates are regularly reviewed. This exercise has demonstrated that national coding systems have not always agreed on the main causes of death. However, there has been a clear trend towards greater agreement, even for specific diagnostic groups, such as cancers, external causes and respiratory conditions. Most of the international data collection is voluntary, but the European Union has adopted a mandatory Regulation to ensure that cause-of-death statistics provide adequate information for all EU Member States to monitor Community actions in the field of public health. Since 2011 the data on causes-of-death have to be provided within 24 months after the end of the reference year. Therefore, causes-of-death statistics at Eurostat is more up-to-date than in other international databases.