About this course:

Alex Lewis joined the deathcare industry as funeral and cemetery admin in 2014, and has been overseeing administrative, office, and online aspects of East Tennessee Cremation Company and The Group since 2020.

This course provides a comprehensive look at death certificates, moving beyond basic familiarity to understand their full importance and value. Participants will explore underutilized guidance available for completing death certificates and learn about the significance and diverse uses of the data compiled from them. The course traces the history of death certificates in the U.S., from early implementations and the origins of modern death reporting in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, through the development of statistical analysis to understand disease and population impacts, and the evolution of data fields in conjunction with establishing the permanent Census Bureau in pursuit of standardization. The course delves into the modern value of death certificate data, including its storage and analysis, and its use in recent history, such as identifying workplace dangers like asbestosis. It also addresses the frequency of errors arising from various sources, including ICD death coding and the training of medical professionals in the U.S., as well as errors within the funeral director's portion of the certificate. A detailed breakdown of Vital Records/CDC office guidelines is provided, covering the proper reporting of names, demographics, business/industry information, special case labeling, and the appropriate use of "unknown," "unobtainable," or blank fields.

PLEASE READ REGISTRATION DETAILS BELOW BEFORE REGISTERING