Background: Death certificate inaccuracies have implications for funding and planning public health services, health research and family settlements. Improved training has been identified as a way of reducing inaccuracies. Understanding the influences on certifying doctors should inform that training.
Aim: To explore what factors influence GPs as they complete death certificates.
Design: Focus groups held by teleconference with 16 GPs.
Setting: New Zealand general practice.
Method: Four teleconferenced focus groups were taped and transcribed. Transcripts were examined for emerging themes. Credibility, transferability and confirmability were underwritten by a clear audit trail.
Results: Participants identified two factors that influenced death certification: clinical uncertainty and the family. Other themes provided an understanding of the personal and professional concerns for GPs.
Conclusion: Improving death certification accuracy is a complex issue and needs to take into consideration factors that influence certifiers.