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Vital Statistics Summary of a Workshop (2009) / Chapter Skim
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5 Options for a 21st Century Vital Statistics Program
Pages 65-74

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From page 65...
... Madans noted that probably the biggest challenge in the VSCP is that neither NCHS nor the vital registration areas have, or can have, control over the original source of the data. The individual physicians, funeral directors, and others who complete the information on certificates do not work for the state registrars and, hence, the registrars and NCHS have only limited means to affect the quality of the information that is collected.
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From page 66...
... • Content: Picking up on her earlier theme -- and taking care to note that suggesting changes to data content is often unpopular but nonetheless necessary -- Madans said that the system needs to carefully consider what items are on the birth and death certificates and why. Is there some limited, core set of public health statistical data items that are
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From page 67...
... If a lot of the information that is currently col lected on vital records is maintained on the electronic medical record attached to each individual, then vital statistics becomes less a data collection problem than a record linkage activity. Looking ahead, it will also be important to reconcile the quality of the data from admin istrative and electronic medical records with the data from existing collection systems.
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From page 68...
... The goal for vital statistics should be a system that is based on both current and future needs; that is efficient but adequately funded, drawing from a variety of sources if necessary; that optimizes data quality and timeliness; that takes advantages of information technology developments but is not limited by technology; and that informs research and decision making. The vital statistics program must also always be thought of as integrated with other data collection systems on health.
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From page 69...
... For example, different countries emphasize details on nationality and parentage but nearly all countries, historically, detail legitimate or illegitimate births as an indicator of social conditions. To this extent, Hogan said, Madans's suggestion that the birth certificate is dominated by data items on race and Hispanic origin and on public health issues actually says something about us as a nation.
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From page 70...
... He said that the impression that the current system is very costly and inefficient and is, essentially, not viable financially is too harsh: the current cost of obtaining birth and death record data (less than $2–3 per event) probably compares favorably with data collection in national surveys.
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From page 71...
... Land argued that the same kind of "marketing" of the data that is done at the state level is not adequately done at the national level: for instance, states have been active in finding new opportunities for use of the National Death Index. Land suggested that the amount of additional funding needed to pay for the current system is actually relatively modest -- perhaps some $10 million annually, with $20 million in start-up costs for reengineering efforts in the states most in need.
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From page 72...
... The speakers responded: • Nancy Krieger (Harvard School of Public Health) commented that col laborative research involving academic researchers and staff of the rel evant government agencies, together with staff in the state and local health departments, would be greatly beneficial for understanding key data issues.
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From page 73...
... Clearly, timeliness is a major issue for the system, both for the delivery of its current products and for the prospects of health surveillance or other new activities. He concurred that NCHS and the system are not doing enough to continually evaluate data quality, going back to check the accuracy and consistency of long-standing data items on the birth and death certificates, much less the new items in the 2003 revisions.
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From page 74...
... 74 VITAL STATISTICS for future action. The vital statistics system needs to be understood as a critical part of the nation's scientific infrastructure, and building awareness of the system's strengths and limitations is essential to continuing to provide vital data for national needs.
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Key Terms

  • data items
  • statistics program
  • data quality
  • vital records
  • data collections

  • data content
  • health interview
  • transparent cost
  • land suggested
  • civil registration

  • interview survey
  • nchs programs
  • broad historical
  • nancy krieger
  • funeral directors

  • cost model
  • electronic medical
  • harvard school
  • data include
  • source data

  • address data
  • health data
  • essential data
  • future vital
  • data releases

  • vital events
  • nchs data
  • vital registration
  • registration data
  • economic data


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