Death reporting is an important component of public health. Data from death certificates can help identify health disparities, prioritize government funding, and inform the response to public health crises.
This explainer reviews the process for documenting death, including the role of cause-of-death certifiers, the importance of the death certificate, the role of state and federal agencies in collecting and maintaining death data, and the importance of death reporting in the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis.
