More than six in 10 death certificates in Greece contain errors

November 9, 2016
Written by E.Tsiliopoulos

More than six in 10 death certificates issued in Greece contain errors, especially with regard to the information given about the cause of death, according to the Hellenic Society of Forensic Medicine.

The society cited figures given at a medical conference held on Crete on November 4-6 showing that 64 pct of death certificates contain significant errors, mostly relating to "the mistaken use of death mechanisms instead of causes and an incorrect order of recording multiple causes."
The society stressed the need to improve the training given to doctors in this area, noting that the information given on death certificates was the main source of data for calculating mortality statistics in the country, which in turn served as the basis of the oldest and most comprehensive system for monitoring public health and deciding policy and targets in this area.

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