3303.0.55.001 - Causes of Death, Australia: Doctor Certified Deaths, Summary Tables, 2008 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/11/2009   
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NOTES


ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

This publication contains summary information relating to cause of death for those deaths certified by doctors. It should be noted that these data represent only a subset of all causes of death, and that the numbers presented here are not comprehensive. Doctor certified deaths account for 87% of all deaths registered in 2008. The remainder are reported to, and certified by, a coroner.

Although what constitutes a reportable death varies across jurisdictions, they are generally reported in circumstances such as:

  • Where the person died unexpectedly and the cause of death is unknown;
  • Where the person died in a violent or unnatural manner;
  • Where the person died during, or as a result of, an anaesthetic;
  • Where the person was 'held in care' or in custody immediately before they died; and
  • Where the identity of the person who has died is unknown.

A complete dataset of causes of death for 2008 will be published in Causes of Death, Australia 2008 (cat. no. 3303.0), due to be released on 17 March 2009. For further information on certification of causes of death, refer to Explanatory Notes 2-3.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.