Introduction to Table V. Premature deaths, monthly mortality, and monthly physician contacts--United States.

Beginning with this issue, a new table will appear monthly in the MMWR:"Table V. Potential Years of Life Lost, Deaths, and Death Rates, by Cause of Death, and Estimated Number of Physician Contacts, by Principal Diagnosis" (see page 557). By displaying a variety of measures that gauge the importance and relative magnitude of certain public health issues, this table will call attention to those issues where strategies for prevention are needed. Publication of this table reflects CDCs increased responsibility for promoting action to reduce unnecessary morbidity and premature mortality and continues the MMWR's tradition of disseminating public health information to its readership.