Quality of mortality statistics' information: garbage codes as causesof death in Belo Horizonte, 2011-2013.

Lenice Harumi Ishitani,Renato Azeredo Teixeira,Daisy Maria Xavier Abreu,Lucia Maria Miana Mattos Paixão,Elisabeth Barboza França

doi:10.1590/1980-5497201700050004

Lenice Harumi Ishitani, Renato Azeredo Teixeira + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5497201700050004

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Abstract

To assess the quality of mortality information by analyzing the frequency of garbage codes (GC) registered as underlying cause-of-death in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data of deaths of residents from 2011 to 2013 were selected. GC causes were classified as proposed by the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2015. They were grouped into GCs from ICD-10 Chapter XVIII and GCs excluding codes of Chapter XVIII. Proportions of GC were calculated by sex, age, and place of occurrence. In Belo Horizonte, 30.5% of the total of 44,123 deaths were GC. Higher proportion of these codes was observed in children (1 to 4 years) and in people aged over 60 years. The following leading GCs observed were: other ill-defined and unspecified causes of death (code R99), unspecified pneumonia (J18.9), unspecified stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic) (I64), and unspecified septicemia (A41.9). The proportions of GC were 28.7% and 36.9% in deaths that occurred in hospitals and at home, respectively. An important difference occurred in the GC group from Chapter XVIII of ICD-10: 1.7% occurred in hospitals and 16.9% at home. The high proportions of GC in mortality statistics in Belo Horizonte demonstrated its importance for assessing the quality of information on causes of death.

Highlights

Knowledge of the health profile of the population is fundamental for the evaluation and planning of health interventions
The high proportions of garbage codes (GC) in mortality statistics in Belo Horizonte demonstrated its importance for assessing the quality of information on causes of death
28.3% of the total deaths that occurred in the capitals had a GC as the underlying cause of death, with 25.2% being GC-non-R codes and 3.1% GC-R codes

Summary

Introduction

Knowledge of the health profile of the population is fundamental for the evaluation and planning of health interventions. This diagnosis will only reflect the present scenario if based on high-quality information[1]. Studies have indicated a tendency in considering other ill-defined causes and incomplete diagnoses from other chapters of ICD-10, defined in conjunction with those in Chapter XVIII as garbage codes (GCs). Despite still undeserving attention by health services and professionals, the importance of this group of causes has been highlighted in order to advance the discussion on the quality of the information[5,6]

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