Evaluating the current process flow of death certificates

Abstract

A Death Certificate is an important document because it is a permanent record of the fact of death. This document provides important personal information about the deceased person and the circumstances and cause of death. This information has many uses both for the relatives as well as departments involved in the process flow of Death Certificates. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the current process flow of Death Certificates and to identify how this process could be rendered more efficient. This flow was found to involve several departments all requiring to know about the occurrence of a person's death for various reasons. Results of the study show that the current process is unnecessarily lengthy, cumbersome and leaves much to be desired. It is recommendable to tackle the current situation of Death Certificate process flow in the short, medium and long terms. In the short term this can come about by educating the public about the steps that should be taken in these circumstances. A website with all necessary details can be introduced for access by everyone. In the medium term reducing existent steps in the process flow is recommendable. Departments that are involved in the process but have no need for the original document, can obtain their information via other means. This may effectively reduce processing time of Death Certificates. As a long-term measure, it is highly recommendable to introduce the Electronic Death Registration System. This will accelerate the process flow as everyone involved will have the relevant details available almost immediately. This will involve investment in resources of both personnel and software. The implementation of Electronic Death Registration System will involve a learning curve and the change process will require holistic determination from all departments involved.