The Final Act of Care: Accuracy in Cause of Death Statements for Socially Stigmatized Deaths.
Friday, October 13, 2023
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM ET
Location: Galena (Fourth Floor)
Death certificates act as verified records that effectively conclude the administrative aspects of a person’s life. They allow the bereaved to begin the process of testate, collect on insurance, and carry out the disposition of the deceased’s remains. Key biographical information about the decedent, as well as the manner and cause of death, is included in death certificates. Specificity in determining the cause of death is considered crucial to epidemiological and public health initiatives, and in the maintenance of accurate mortality records—all offering important insights into society’s health. Errors in cause or manner of death determinations occur in approximately 33% to 41% of cause of death certification.
In this paper, I explore some of the ethical implications of inaccurate cause of death practices for deceased persons, the bereaved and clinicians. I argue that, at an individual level, such inaccuracy denigrates the life and legacy of the deceased through censorship and narrative revision. Imprecise cause of death determinations also undermine the professional commitments of honesty and empowerment that physicians hold for patients. Whilst there is an expansive literature exploring the professional challenges faced by clinicians in determining cause of death, in this presentation I focus on modifications, either conscious or unconscious, to cause of death in the context of stigmatized illnesses or deaths, such as suicide or HIV/AIDS.