title: The National Violent Death Reporting System: overview and future directions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). This is a surveillance system for monitoring the occurrence of homicides, suicides, unintentional firearm deaths, deaths of undetermined intent, and deaths from legal intervention (excluding legal executions) in the US.
  
  
  METHODS
  This report provides information about the history, scope, data variables, processes, utility, limitations, and future directions of the NVDRS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NVDRS currently operates in 32 states, with the goal of future expansion to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. The system uses existing primary data sources (death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports), and links them together to provide a comprehensive picture of the circumstances surrounding violent deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report provides an overview of the NVDRS including a description of the system, discussion of its expanded capability, the use of new technologies as the system has evolved, how the data are being used for violence prevention efforts, and future directions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Shane P D
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.affiliation: Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Crosby
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D003644:Death Certificates; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000453:epidemiology