Overview and Assessment of the Pilot Program for the Full Digitization of Death Certificates in Six Municipalities in France in 2017–2018

Introduction - The electronic submission of death certificates, introduced in 2007, makes it possible to conduct reactive mortality analysis for early warning purposes. However, the rollout of electronic death certificates has been slow due to the requirement to print the administrative section (VA) of the certificate. A pilot program was launched in 2017 to test the complete digitization of death certificates and assess the acceptance of this new system by all stakeholders. This article presents the results of this pilot program. Methods - The pilot was conducted in six municipalities (Antibes, Aurillac, Créteil, La Rochelle, Montluçon, and Villejuif) and evaluated over a period of 5 to 8 months between June 2017 and January 2018. The evaluation is based on quantitative and qualitative indicators derived from data recorded during the validation or use of the certificates by each stakeholder and from questionnaires sent to prefectures, funeral service providers (FSPs), and city halls in January 2018. Results - Nearly half of the deaths occurring in the six municipalities were certified electronically. All electronic death certificates were received by the town halls, and 68% were downloaded by a funeral service provider (FSP). The various stakeholders reported saving time when drafting or processing the electronic death certificate. Discussion - This pilot project demonstrated an increase in the rate of electronically certified deaths and validated the system, with strong support from all stakeholders involved. The rollout of the system nationwide was approved by stakeholders in April 2018.

Author(s): Carton Isabelle, Cuzin Ysaline

Publishing year: 2019

Pages: 594-601

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2019, n° 29-30, p. 594-601

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