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dc.contributor.authorSulo, Gerhard
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-31T13:08:48Z
dc.date.available2023-03-31T13:08:48Z
dc.date.created2023-02-15T15:28:34Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.identifier.issn1403-4948
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11250/3061518
dc.description.abstractAim: The underlying cause of death represents the most important information on death certificates. Often, conditions that cannot represent a true underlying cause of death are listed as such. This phenomenon affects the quality of vital statistics and results of studies using cause-specific mortality as endpoints. We aimed at exploring the magnitude and factors associated with the use of heart failure to describe the underlying cause of death. Methods: In this cross-sectional, register based study we linked data from the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry and the Norwegian Patient Registry. We used logistic regression models to analyse the association between external factors and heart failure listed as the underlying cause of death. Results: Heart failure was listed as the underlying cause of death in 3.6% of all deaths. The odds of heart failure increased: (a) by 35% for 5-year increment in age; (b) by 78% for deaths occurring at nursing homes (compared with in-hospital deaths); and (c) by 602% for deaths not followed by an autopsy (compared with those followed by an autopsy). Deceased with a previous hospitalisation with heart failure as the discharge diagnosis had 514% higher odds of having heart failure listed as their underlying cause of death. Of the deceased with heart failure listed as the underlying cause of death, 9.4% did not have any, and 69.2% had only irrelevant additional information for assessing the true underlying cause of death in their death certificates. Conclusions: Heart failure listed as the underlying cause of death was associated with age, place of death, autopsy and previous hospitalisations – all factors that should not influence coding procedures. Better completion of death certificates in accordance with the World Health Organization rules will help reduce the use of heart failure to describe the underlying cause of death.en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherSageen_US
dc.titleHeart failure describing the underlying cause of death – a misconception, lack of information on the true underlying causes or both?en_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US
dc.description.versionacceptedVersionen_US
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2022 The Author(s)en_US
cristin.ispublishedfalse
cristin.fulltextpostprint
cristin.qualitycode1
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/14034948221137123
dc.identifier.cristin2126423
dc.source.journalScandinavian Journal of Public Healthen_US
dc.identifier.citationScandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2022en_US


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