Programa piloto para la mejora de la certificación de las causas de muerte en atención primaria en Cataluña

Abstract

Objective: The BEDTAR pilot programassessed changes in the quality of certification of death's causes after a training session for the primary care physicians in the Tarragona's Area of Catalonia, in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Design: Before-after evaluative study with intervention and without control group. Setting and participants: The study population was the physicians of the reformed primary health care network of the AT. Material and methods: The training session began with a test consisting of certifying 3 deaths. This test was followed by a theoretical and practical seminar. The session concluded with a final test consisting on certifying the same 3 cases. The variables used to evaluate the quality the certification were: logical sequence the death causes, correct position on death certificate of the immediate, intermediate and basic causes, precise use of cardiac arrest and other ill-defined diseases, appropriate use of abbreviations, legibility, vocabulary and, finally, use of all the available information. Results: The final participation of the study population was 71% and the global program efficacy was 59%. Conclusions: The BEDTAR program improved the quality of certification and emphasized the relevancy and the applicability of the results.