INFORMATION ABOUT PATIENTS DEATHS - GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS CURRENT PRACTICE AND VIEWS ON RECEIVING A DEATH REGISTER

Background. Although general practitioners are involved in the care of most dying patients, they do not routinely receive information about their deceased patients for whom they did not complete the death certi ficate, and often they rely upon informal communication channels. Aim. This study set out to assess how general practitioners obtained, reco rded and used information about deceased patients and to determine the ir views on receiving a death register. Method. A questionnaire was se nt to all 305 general practitioners in the Newcastle upon Tyne and Sun derland Family Health Services Authority areas. Results. A total of 22 5 questionnaires were returned (response rate 74%). General practition ers usually first learnt about their patients' deaths from hospital di scharge summaries (54%) and patients' relatives (46%) and less commonl y from newspaper obituary columns (20%) and hospital telephone calls ( 9%). Two thirds of respondents recorded information about decreased pa tients, mainly listing personal details and the immediate cause of dea th. One third or fewer of those recording information listed contribut ory causes. The information was used mainly for following up bereaved relatives and notifying hospitals and other agencies. Conclusion. Curr ent informal systems for handling information about patients' deaths a re inadequate. General practitioners need and would welcome prompt, ac curate and comprehensive information about all their deceased patients .