The Danish Register of Causes of Death

TLDR

Cause‑specific mortality statistics are a valuable source for identifying risk factors for poor public health, but their continuity and validity may be affected by changes in coding practices, low autopsy rates, and reliance on accurate physician notification and coding. The register, maintained by the National Board of Health since 1875 and computerized since 1970, records all Danish deaths and classifies causes according to WHO rules using ICD‑10 codes since 1994. The longstanding national registration of causes of death is essential for much research.

Abstract

Introduction: Cause-specific mortality statistics is a valuable source for the identification of risk factors for poor public health. Content: Since 1875, the National Board of Health has maintained the register covering all deaths among citizens dying in Denmark, and since 1970 has computerised individual records. Validity and coverage: Classification of cause(s) of deaths is done in accordance to WHO’s rules, since 1994 by ICD-10 codes. A change in coding practices and a low autopsy rate might influence the continuity and validity in cause-specific mortality. Conclusion: The longstanding national registration of causes of death is essential for much research. The quality of the register on causes of death relies mainly upon the correctness of the physicians’ notification and the coding in the National Board of Health.