Table 1.

Indicators retained to evaluate intrinsic quality of death certificates

Type of indicator	Assessing methodology	Example
Information quantity
Average number of conditions	Mean of codes written on death certificate
Intrinsic consistency
Correct completion	Application of General Principle	Part I:
		a) Sepsis
		b) Pneumonia
Several sequences	Application of Rule 1	Part I:
		a) Respiratory arrest
		b) Lung cancer, heart failure
No logical sequence	Application of Rule 2	Part I:
		a) Cerebrovascular accident
		b) Alzheimer’s disease
Imprecision
Underlying cause of death imprecise	Imprecise underlying cause of death, marked by following ill-defined codes: R00-R99 (except R95), I469, I99, I959, J960, J969.*	Part I:
		a) Multiple organ failure
		b) Cardiac arrest

* I469 = Cardiac arrest, unspecified, I959 = Hypotension, unspecified, I99 = Other and unspecified disorders of circulatory system, J960 = Acute respiratory failure, J969 = Respiratory failure, unspecified, R00-R99 = Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified, R95 = Sudden infant death syndrome.

Causes in bold are selected in each case.