Death certificate errors in three teaching hospitals of Zahedan, southeast of Iran.

Accurate completion of death certificates is of critical importance for public health policy and statistical purposes. In assessing 936 available death certificates, most contained one or more errors. Minor errors (e.g. absence of time intervals) were more common than major errors (e.g. the use of general terms instead of specific conditions). Providing education, complying with standards established by the World Health Organization, applying quality control of death certificates, and correcting deficient death certificates in the hospitals seem necessary to inform the effectiveness of public health programs, future health policies, quality health planning, and prioritization of health and medical research programs.