Report on the 2003 revision of the US standard certificate of death

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is responsible for publish ing Standard Certificates of Birth and Death for the United States of Ameri ca. The standard certificates are revised roughly every 10 years. The revis ion process is designed to ensure that the standard certificates meet, as n early as possible, the use for which they are intended at all levels: indiv idual, local, state, and federal. The authors report on the most recent rev ision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Death, recording the process and the role of the National Association of Medical Examiners in the process. C hanges recommended during revision include requesting known aliases of a de cedent and rearrangement of the certificate to provide more room for those items requesting dates and for describing how the injury occurred. New item s have been added asking for information regarding traffic fatalities, the role of tobacco use in causing death, and whether female decedents were pre gnant. Once approved by the Department of Health and Human Services, the ne w standard certificate will be made available to the states. Each state wil l have 2 years to adapt the U.S. Standard Certificate of Death to its use a nd to implement new state death certificates on January 1, 2003.