National vital statistics needs : a report ; an analysis of the role of the national vital statistics agency, with recommendations concerning the procurement and production of regular annual data, the need for special studies, provision of technical services to the States, and other policy questions.

  • United States. National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics
Date:
1965
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: National vital statistics needs : a report ; an analysis of the role of the national vital statistics agency, with recommendations concerning the procurement and production of regular annual data, the need for special studies, provision of technical services to the States, and other policy questions. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    D. The NOVS should abandon any further experi- mentation with the punched-card method in the collection of mortality statistics and if the use of this method to collect birth statistics is con- tinued at all, should limit it to the few States where it can be shown to be mutually advanta- geous and where it will not adversely affect the scope, quality, continuity, and usefulness of na- tional vital statistics. E. The NOVS should continue to cooperate with the States in studies of ways toimprove the division of labor in the national vital statistics system. Changes in the system should be made only after full consideration of: (1) the basic requirements for national vital sta- tistics specified on page 231 of this report; (2) safeguards for the continuity of operation; (3) opportunities to improve the final product and to render maximum services. 5. The Committee also notes that marriage and divorce (including annulment) statistics are in a highly unsatisfactory state as regards geographic coverage, uniformity of reporting, accuracy and amount of detail. A program for the improvement of these data should be consistent with the above recommendations and receive the same level of priority, but it is recognized that it is not possible to carry out such a program under the present budgetary position. The Committee rccommends that: A. The NOVS work actively to establisha Marriage Registration Area through implementation of the four criteria established for admission to the area, and to extend it until every State is included. B. Methods of collecting marriage statistics be explored with a view to assuring (a) complete coverage of the United States, (b) uniform data both between and within States, (c) comparability of time series, and (d) accuracy of information. C. The NOVS obtain copies of marriage records from the States and local areas to be processed in the NOVS. Similar actions are needed for national] statis - tics ondivorces and annulments. However, specific recommendations are deferred until a thorough study of this problem can be made. Other Recommendations Completeness of data The NOVS should stimulate and assist in spe- cial studies of birth registration completeness in areas where completeness of registration is still a problem. The NOVS should endeavor to develop methods for measuring incompleteness of death and late fetal death registration adaptable to those areas where this problem is important. If practical techniques can be found, they should be applied to obtain more information on the extent of incompleteness and on means for attaining more complete reporting. Efforts toward improvement of notifiable dis- ease reporting should be concentrated first on those diseases that are major health problems and are amenable to control procedures. The NOVS should cooperate with the States in the development and application of tests to deter- mine the completeness of the reporting of mar- riages and divorces and annulments to the central offices, and the accuracy of the information given on the report forms. Uniformity of data The NOVS and the State vital statistics offices should continue their efforts to obtain complete coverage of all items on the standard certificates. Scope and detail of data The NOVS should keep in closer touch with the users of its data when planning the scope and detail of its tabulations and publications and making deci- sions on fundamental issues. Explanatory and interpretive text The analytical functions of the NOVS should be strengthened to make available more explanatory and interpretive material useful to consumers. Cyclical schedule of tabulations The concept of cyclical collection and tabulation of data should be firmly established asa partofthe regular program of the NOVS with adequate safe- guards for the continuity of the various tabulation cycles.