Better use of data can help to prevent future deaths

In 1611, in the wake of the bubonic plague, King James I chartered the Company of Parish Clerks to produce weekly bills of mortality.1 These listed weekly burial figures and causes of death for the parishes of London. When someone died, the bell of the parish church was rung, and the sexton (who had responsibility for preparing the grave) alerted the searchers. The searchers were employed by the church to determine the cause of death. One shortcoming of this approach was under-reporting and exclusion of those who were not members of the Anglican church or who were too poor to pay their fees.Are things any better in the reign of King Charles III? While the inclusivity and quality of mortality statistics has improved significantly with time, both continue to be an issue. Since 2009, coroners have had a new duty to complete Reports to Prevent Future Deaths. Schedule 5 of…
Read Original Article: Better use of data can help to prevent future deaths »