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Table 3 Clinical parameters associated with death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners

From: Accuracy and the factors influencing the accuracy of death certificates completed by first-year general practitioners in Thailand

Clinical parameters

All general practitioners (n = 155)

Correct DC GP group (n = 47)

Incorrect DC GP group (n = 108)

1. Overall DC knowledge, n (%)

65 (41.9)

21 (44.7)

44 (40.7)

 ▪ Understands that DCs are used in public health research and policy, n (%)

66 (42.6)

23 (48.9)

43 (39.8)

 ▪ Can differentiate between COD and MOD, n (%)

39 (25.2)

14 (29.8)

25 (23.1)

2. High level of self-confidence in identifying correct underlying COD, n (%)

41 (26.5)

15 (31.9)

26 (24.1)

3. Factors influencing errors in COD, n (%)

 ▪ Lack of appropriate knowledge

51 (32.9)

15 (31.9)

36 (33.3)

 ▪ Extenuating circumstancea

17 (11.0)

3 (6.4)

14 (13.0)

 ▪ High workload

33 (21.3)

7 (14.9)

26 (24.1)

 ▪ Lack of adequate data

28 (18.1)

10 (21.3)

18 (16.7)

 ▪ Other/non applicable

26 (16.7)

12 (25.5)

14 (12.9)

4. Time spent on COD determination and DC completion in medical curriculum (hr), mean ± SD

2.1 ± 0.9

2.2 ± 0.7

1.8 ± 0.9

 ▪ Time spent on COD and DCs < 2 h, n (%)

96 (73.8)

29 (74.4)

67 (73.6)

5. COD coding experience, n (%)

 ▪ Have experience completing DCs by themselves during medical school

43 (27.7)

17 (36.2)

26 (24.1)

 ▪ Have experience completing DCs by themselves > 5 cases/month after graduation

105 (67.7)

33 (70.2)

72 (66.7)

6. Established COD coding training program in work hospital, n (%)

45 (29.0)

13 (27.7)

32 (29.6)

7. Person responsible for completion of death certificates during office hours, n (%)

 ▪ Primarily senior physicians

16 (10.4)

5 (10.6)

11 (10.3)

 ▪ Primarily general practitioners

126 (81.8)

38 (80.9)

88 (82.2)

 ▪ On-duty general practitioner

3 (2.0)

0 (0)

3 (2.8)

 ▪ Other

9 (5.8)

4 (8.5)

5 (4.7)

8. Person responsible for completion of death certificates during after hours, n (%)

 ▪ Primary senior physicians

3 (2.0)

1 (2.1)

2 (1.9)

 ▪ Primary general practitioners

31 (20.1)

16 (34.0)

15 (14.0)

 ▪ On-duty general practitioner

112 (72.7)

27 (57.5)

85 (79.4)

 ▪ Other

8 (5.2)

3 (6.4)

5 (4.7)

  1. Categorical variable; number (percent), continuous normally-distributed variable; mean ± standard deviation. Significant differences across correct and incorrect DC GP group were identified for normally distributed continuous variables by t-test
  2. Abbreviations: N Number, % Percent, COD Cause of death, MOD Mode of death, DC Death certificate, DCs Death certificates, SD Standard deviation, GP General practitioner
  3. p-value < 0.05 indicates statistical significance; all parameters in this table were p above 0.05
  4. aAn example of an extenuating circumstance would be a family member of the deceased that requests that you alter the COD in order to conceal the fact that the patient had HIV infection