Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society 17 Physicians’ knowledge and practices in death certiicate completion in the Kingdom of Bahrain Najat Mohamed Abulfatih Ali*, MD, Arab Board Family Medicine, MSc. Randah R. Hamadeh**, BSc, MSc, DPhil (Oxon) * Consultant Family Physician, Ministry of Health, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain **Professor and Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University Correspondence to: NALi5@health.gov.bh åëÑdG á°UÓN :´ƒ°VƒŸG á«Ø∏N π∏°†J óbh ,ájƒ«◊G äÉ«FÉ°üME’G IOƒL ≈∏Y ÒÑc πμ°ûH ôKDƒJ áæeõŸG á∏μ°ûŸG √ògh , øjôëÑdG ‘ áªFGO á∏μ°ûe ÖÑ°ùdG áahô©e Ò¨dG äÉ«aƒ∏d á«dÉ©dG áÑ°ùædG ¿CG .¢VGôeC’G ≈∏Y Iô£«°ùdGh ájÉbƒ∏d áeRÓdG OQGƒŸG ¢ü«°üîJ ‘ h áμ∏ªŸG ‘ á«ë°üdG πcÉ°ûŸG äÉjƒdhCG ójó– óæY äÉ°SÉ«°ùdG »©fÉ°U :±Góg’G .»Ñ£dG á«fɪ∏°ùdG õcôe ‘ IÉaƒdG äGOÉ¡°T ∫ɪμà°SEG ≈a AÉÑWC’G äÉ°SQɇh áaô©e º««≤J :åëÑdG á≤jôW .Ö«ÑW204 øe áfƒμe AÉÑWC’G øe á«FGƒ°ûY áæ«Y ≈∏Y ¿É«Ñà°SG ™jRƒJ ” å«M øjôëÑdG ‘ »Ñ£dG á«fɪ∏°ùdG õcôe AÉÑWCG ÚH á°SGQódG √òg âjôLCG :èFÉàædG IÈN …hP % 48,5 h ¬«∏j Éeh 2000 ΩÉY AÉÑWCÉc GƒLôîJ º¡æe % 62,9 h , §≤a áMGôL h ÖW ¢SƒjQƒdÉμH ¿ƒ∏ªëj (% 91,3) º¶©e ¿CG á°SGQódG âë°VhCG ’ % 97,2 ¿CGh ,IÉaƒdG IOÉ¡°T ∫ɪμà°S’ ¬«LƒàdG ÇOÉÑà º∏Y ≈∏Y Gƒfƒμj / º¡æe % 71,8 ¿CG .51,1% á«æWÉÑdG AÉÑWCG áÑ°ùf âfÉch ,äGƒæ°S 5 øY ójõJ ’ .øjôëÑdG ‘ IÉaƒdG ÖÑ°S ójóëàd Ωóîà°ùŸG ¢UÉÿG õ«eÎdG Ωɶf ¿ƒaô©j .܃∏£ŸG â– iƒà°ùe Gƒ≤≤M % 83,1 ¿CG ßMƒd ,IÉaƒdG äGOÉ¡°T ∫ɪμà°SEG ‘ ÚÑ«éà°ùŸG AGOCG iƒà°ùe º««≤J ‘ á©ÑàŸG ÒjÉ©ŸG ¤EG kGOÉæà°SEG º¡à°SQɇ AÉæKCG IÉaƒdG IOÉ¡°T ∫ɪcEG ‘ »ª°SQ ÖjQóJ …CG Gƒ≤∏àj / ºgDhGQBG á©∏£à°ùŸG øe % 81 ¿CG ÚÑJh .IÉaƒdG äGOÉ¡°T ∫ɪcEG ‘ º¡JGQÉ¡e Ú°ùëàd ™°SƒŸG ÖjQóàdG ¤EG áLÉ◊G % 75,4 ìÎbGh :á“ÉÿG h É¡«a IôKDƒŸG πeGƒ©dG ™«ªL QÉÑàY’G ‘ ™°VƒdG ™e IÉaƒdG IOÉ¡°T ΩÉ“EG á«∏ªY á©LGôe ≥jôW øY øjôëÑdG ‘ IÉaƒdG IOÉ¡°T IOƒL Ú°ù– øμÁ ,ΩÉàÿG ‘ .IÉaƒdG IOÉ¡°T ∫ɪcEG ≈∏Y AÉÑWC’G ÖjQóJ IQÉjR aBStract Background: The high percentage of ill-deined causes of death has always been a problem in Bahrain. This affects the quality of vital statistics and misguides policy makers when prioritizing heath problems and allocating resources in disease prevention and control. objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge and practices of physicians in the completion of death certiicates at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC). Methods: The study group consisted of a cross-section of physicians at SMC. A simple random sample of 204 physicians was selected and a self-administered questionnaire, whose reliability was 0.7 based on Cronbach’s Alpha, was distributed. results: The majority (91.3%) had MBBS as a qualiication and 62.9% graduated in the year 2000 or in subsequent years. Forty-eight percent of the physicians had experience of 5 years or less and 51.1% were internal medicine specialists. Seventy two percent of the respondents were unaware of the death certiicate completion guidelines and 97.2% did not know the coding system used for the causes of death in Bahrain. Based on the criteria used for assessment of the respondents’ performance levels in completing death certiicates, it was observed that 83.1% achieved a suboptimal level. Moreover, 81% of the physicians had not received any formal training in this regard during their practice. conclusion: Physicians in SMC lack adequate knowledge, training and experience in completing death certiicates. The accuracy of death certiicates in SMC would improve if the process of death certiication were revised in light of these factors, and that physicians received appropriate training to complete death certiicates. Keywords: ill-deined causes of death, death certiicate, ICD classiication of causes of death, death certiicate accuracy