Module 1 Introduction
Who is Responsible for Completing the Medical Certificate of Death?
Although many disciplines may pronounce death, there are only certain disciplines that can complete the Medical Certificate of Death.
The Medical Certificate of Death is a form that can be completed by any of the certifiers listed below:
- A physician who was present at the time of death (attending) or cared for the deceased during their last illness and can determine the medical cause of death.
- Any physician (physician attending after death) who can make a reasonable determination of the cause of death.
- A prescribed practitioner (nurse practitioner) in attendance at the time of death or that cared for the deceased during their last illness and can determine the medical cause of death.
- A prescribed practitioner (nurse practitioner attending after death) who can make a reasonable determination of the cause of death.
- A coroner
It is a legal and ethical expectation that physicians and nurse practitioners will complete the Medical Certificate of Death unless the death arose from circumstances that required a report to the coroner or if the provider is unable to make a reasonable determination of the medical cause of death. There is no legal requirement that the body must be viewed prior to signing the death certificate (College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, 2019).
If the situation arises that the physician, prescribed practitioner, or a coroner is awaiting the results of an autopsy, an interim Medical Certificate of Death can be completed in order for the family to obtain a burial permit. It is important to note, that families cannot proceed with disposition (burial or cremation) until this form is completed and received by the funeral home. As soon as the results have been received, a final Medical Certificate of Death must be submitted to the registrar (The Vital Statistics Regulations, 2010).
If death occurs in a hospital or out of hospital but the decedent is transferred to the hospital, the hospital will provide a Medical Certificate of Death form to the person who is authorized to complete it. The hospital will then send the form to the funeral director or to other persons to whom the body has been released or to the registrar if the body has not been released to a funeral director (Vital Statistics, 2009).
A funeral director to whom the body is released shall provide a Medical Certificate of Death form to the person who is authorized to complete it, if the form has not been obtained any other way (i.e. in hospital). They will then send a confirmation of receipt of the completed form and submit the completed Medical Certificate of Death to the registrar (Vital Statistics, 2009).