Incomplete and Inaccurate Death Certification by Medical Students in Nigeria, the Need for Guidance

The study aimed to find out the level of knowledge of medical death certification of final year medical students, Objective - (1) To assess their knowledge of death certification (2) find out at what level of their training they came in contact with death certificates (3) who normally fills death certificate (4) if they can fill death certificate correctly (5) if there is need for formalized training session on death certificate in the medical school. Materials and Methods - This was a cross sectional survey of 50 final year medical students of Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, (O.A.C.H.S. O.O.U.) who had completed their rotations in pathology and clinical posting and these students were chosen at random. This was carried out by administering self-structured 15 item questionnaires to the students and they were also given death certificate to fill out on a clinical scenario. Results – About 63% students had no formal teaching in the filling of death certificate and over 55% of them had never seen a death certificate filled. Among the 45% of student who had seen death certificate filled, less than 25% of them did so at various levels of their pathological and clinical postings. The students saw more house offices filling death certificate than other cadre of doctors. 50% of them would want to be trained on death certification at morbid anatomy postings. Over 80% of the students were aware of the importance and indications for death certification. Conclusion – The inclusion of formal training in death certificate completion in the medical school curriculum of the Obafemi Awolowo College of health Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University Ogun State, would be desirable. Key Words: Death Certification, Medical Students, School Curriculum Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol.46(4) 2004: 84-86