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Verbal autopsy is used in settings where most deaths are undocumented. Estimates suggest a majority of the 60 million annual global deaths occur without medical attention or official medical certification of the cause of death. The VA method attempts to establish causes of death for previously undocumented subjects, allowing scientists to analyze disease patterns and direct [[public health]] policy decisions.
Verbal autopsy is used in settings where most deaths are undocumented. Estimates suggest a majority of the 60 million annual global deaths occur without medical attention or official medical certification of the cause of death. The VA method attempts to establish causes of death for previously undocumented subjects, allowing scientists to analyze disease patterns and direct [[public health]] policy decisions.


Noteworthy uses of the verbal autopsy method include the [[Million Death Study]] in India, and China's national program to document causes of death in rural areas.<ref name=r1/><ref name=r4/>
Noteworthy uses of the verbal autopsy method include the [[Million Death Study]] in India, China's national program to document causes of death in rural areas, and the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.<ref name=r1/><ref name=r4/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Lozano|first1=Rafael|last2=Murray|first2=Christopher J.L.|last3=Naghavi|first3=Mohsen|title=Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010|url=http://www.healthdata.org/research-article/global-and-regional-mortality-235-causes-death-20-age-groups-1990-and-2010|accessdate=29 July 2014}}</ref>


==Development==
==Development==

Revision as of 18:34, 29 July 2014

A verbal autopsy (VA) is a method of gathering health information about a deceased individual to determine his or her cause of death. Health information and a description of events prior to death are acquired from conversations or interviews with a person or persons familiar with the deceased and analyzed by health professional or computer algorithms to assign a probable cause of death.[1]

Verbal autopsy is used in settings where most deaths are undocumented. Estimates suggest a majority of the 60 million annual global deaths occur without medical attention or official medical certification of the cause of death. The VA method attempts to establish causes of death for previously undocumented subjects, allowing scientists to analyze disease patterns and direct public health policy decisions.

Noteworthy uses of the verbal autopsy method include the Million Death Study in India, China's national program to document causes of death in rural areas, and the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.[1][2][3]

Development

As early as the 1950s forms of VA called lay reporting were employed in countries with low coverage of medical access.[4] The WHO continued to encouraged lay reporting in such settings and in 1975 an official lay reporting form was established.[4]

Many iterations of the questionnaire used in VA have been developed by health professionals and researchers. The World Health Organization now employs a standard verbal autopsy method, involving a recommended questionnaire.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b What is Verbal Autopsy?. www.cghr.org
  2. ^ Yang G (2006) Validation of verbal autopsy procedures for adult deaths in China. Int J Epidemiol. 2006 Jun;35(3):741-8. Epub 2005 Sep 6.
  3. ^ Lozano, Rafael; Murray, Christopher J.L.; Naghavi, Mohsen. "Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010". Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b WHO (2012). Verbal Autopsy Standards.
  5. ^ WHO (2014). Verbal autopsy standards. website