Vital_Statistics

Vital statistics are the most accurate and complete data collected on the American population, and yet there are still many errors in the information submitted. What are some possible sources of error in records collected on births, deaths, spontaneous fetal deaths, and induced abortions' The collection of comprehensive information of vital statistics is a challenge. A variety of factors play a role in the errors found in records of the American population. Some of these could be barriers to registration of an event, a failure to capture all the information of a birth or a death, inconsistent data forms, lack of clear roles and responsibilities, and delays in production of statistics. The registration of a vital event, in either a birth or a death, is dependent on individuals or families. If the process is cumbersome, difficult or seems to be unpleasant, then families will fail to register such vital events resulting in inconsistent statistics. In rural or remote areas, there may be too few points to registration which may lead to costly or long journeys to register. This barrier is only made worse if more than one trip is required to complete the registration process. From a public health perspective, information gathered outside of what is needed to take care of legal matters or administrative purposes is crucial. Routine information would be such things like name, sex, nationality, etc. Public health professionals require information that would surround the circumstances of a birth or death, to include cause of death. Useful public health information includes birth weight, prematurity, birth deformity, birth order (for multiple births), method of delivery and any complications. Cause-of-death information is vital for determining the burden of disease across the population. If this information is not fed into the national system through a standard process, information is lost or not counted. Inconsistent data forms at various levels could be a source of error in compiling vital statistics. Non-standardized data forms prevent data from being aggregated at the national level. Missing data could lead to misinterpreting trends or failing to recognize key indicators with regards to births or deaths. Additionally, entering information into a registry that is inaccurate could lead to errors resulting from improper coding or interpretation or improperly entering or transferring the exact information from one system to another. Having too much "red tape" may cause complications or delay the compilation of statistics or affect the quality of data gathered. Civil registration and vital statistics are highly complex and interrelated systems in which minor organizational changes can accumulate gradually over time and cause problems. This problem is most likely to occur where there is a lack of joint management and a central unit to coordinate systems, set standards and assign responsibilities for specific functions at different organizational levels. Planning of programs requires information to be processed in a timely and complete fashion. Delays in registering vital events and the publication of accurate statistics means the information provided in the here-and-now is of limited use in guiding policy makers. http://www.globalsummitoncrvs.org/pdf/09CRVS_ResourceKit_2012.pdf