[A pilot program to improve causes of death certification in primary care of Catalonia, Spain].
OBJECTIVE
The BEDTAR pilot program assessed changes in the quality of certification of death's causes after a training session for the primary care physicians in the Tarragona's Area of Catalonia, in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula.


METHODS
Before-after evaluative study with intervention and without control group.


METHODS
The study population was the physicians of the reformed primary health care network of the AT.


METHODS
The training session began with a test consisting of certifying 3 deaths. This test was followed by a theoretical and practical seminar. The session concluded with a final test consisting on certifying the same 3 cases. The variables used to evaluate the quality the certification were: logical sequence the death causes, correct position on death certificate of the immediate, intermediate and basic causes, precise use of cardiac arrest and other ill-defined diseases, appropriate use of abbreviations, legibility, vocabulary and, finally, use of all the available information.


RESULTS
The final participation of the study population was 71% and the global program efficacy was 59%.


CONCLUSIONS
The BEDTAR program improved the quality of certification and emphasized the relevancy and the applicability of the results.
Abós
Rafael
R
Equip d'Atenció Primària. Institut Català de la Salut. Ripollet, Barcelona, España. 24025rah@comb.es
Pérez
Glòria
G
Rovira
Enric
E
Canela
Jaume
J
Domènech
Jaume
J
Bardina
Josep R
JR
D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D003644:Death Certificates; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013030:Spain