AI Article Synopsis
- The British Columbia Coroners Service changed its policy in 2010 to classify deaths from falls as 'accidental' instead of 'natural.'
- A study of mortality data from 2004 to 2017 focused on adults aged 60 and older to see if death trends reflected this policy change or were due to reporting inconsistencies.
- Findings showed an initial rise in accidental fall-related deaths among those aged 80 and older after the policy change, but post-2012 data suggested a return to earlier reporting methods.
Article Abstract
Background: The British Columbia Coroners Service implemented a policy in 2010 advising the reclassification of underlying causes of deaths due to falls from 'natural' to 'accidental'. This study investigates whether observed data trends reflect this change in practice, are artefacts of inconsistent reporting, or indicate a true increase in fall-related deaths.
Methods: Mortality data were analysed from 2004 to 2017 for cases with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision fall codes W00-W19, occurring among adults aged 60 years and older.
Results: From 2010 to 2012, accidental fall-related deaths increased among those aged 80 years and older, followed by an increase in natural deaths with fall as the contributing cause.
Conclusions: Changes in reporting resulting from the 2010 policy change were observed; however, post-2012 data indicate a reversion to previous reporting practices.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7513264 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043280 | DOI Listing |
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