KDHE and KHC prove an effective partnership in encouraging the use of the Electronic Death Record System. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Office of Vital Statistics recently recognized the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative for their successful joint partnership to encourage Kansas physicians to use the Electronic Death Record System.
In June, presenting to an audience of 250 at the National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems in Memphis, TN, Kay Haug, Director and Assistant State Registrar for the Office of Vital Statistics, praised the partnership her office has with the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative. Through this partnership, KHC leadership assisted in reaching out to Kansas physicians and hospitals to promote EDRS, included information about the system in monthly and quarterly publications, and helped establish monthly hospital trainings across the state.
As of May, the Office of Vital Statistics reports over 2,700 physicians using the system.
The next challenge is to meet CDC's directive that 80 percent of all death events be filed within 10 days. For the month of June, the Office of Vital Statistics reports finishing at 65.8 percent of all death certificates being filed within ten days. During this summer season, the Office of Vital Statistics encourages vacationing physicians to coordinate timely processes for completing death certificates.