Strategies for Improving Civil Registration
and Vital Statistics Systems:
The Canadian Experience
Presentation to the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on International
Standards for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems
June 27-30, 2011
Jeff Latimer, Ph.D.
Director, Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Co-Chair, Vital Statistics Council for Canada
&
Josée Dubé
Director and Registrar General, Vital Statistics Branch, Service New Brunswick
Co-Chair, Vital Statistics Council for Canada
The Canadian Model

The cornerstone of Canada’s national system of vital statistics is the
cooperation and collaboration between the thirteen provincial and territorial
vital statistics registrars and the federal government of Canada represented
by Statistics Canada

The registration of births, deaths, still-births, and marriages is a provincial
responsibility (divorce registration is a federal responsibility)

The collection and dissemination of vital statistics is a federal responsibility
fulfilled by Statistics Canada under the federal Statistics Act
2
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
The Vital Statistics Council of Canada

The VSCC is comprised of all thirteen provincial/territorial registrars and the
federal government represented by Statistics Canada

The mission of the VSCC is to:

3

Further the evolution of the vital statistics system and public health surveillance

Support the exchange of vital statistics between the federal and provincial /
territorial governments, pursuant to the federal Statistics Act

Assist jurisdictions to fulfill their legislated mandates effectively and with
excellence by sharing ideas and innovations
The current priorities of the VSCC are focused on accuracy, confidentiality
and privacy, and relevance
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
Registry Training Best Practices

Full cross training of registry staff allows for the segregation of duties when
dealing with the issuance of identity documents

The segregation of application acceptance and issuance responsibilities is
recommended

Typically, training is guided by documented procedural manuals by
transaction type

Timely and accurate training information is readily available to all staff
4
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
Medical Coding Training

Trainees complete NCHS computer-based modules on anatomy, physiology
and medical terminology and an introduction to ICD-10 as a pre-classroom
component to both underlying and multiple causes training

All coders take the Basic ICD-10 Underlying Cause of Death Classification
and the Basic ICD-10 Multiple Causes of Death Classification courses

For new coders, the process is generally to double code 100% of cases in
the beginning and then follow a progressively reduced monitoring process
until discrepancies are at an acceptable level
5
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
Outreach: Passport Canada

6
Passport Canada’s proposed changes to acceptable ID documents for
passport issuance would significantly impact vital statistics registries

Collaborative effort between Passport Canada and the VSCC council

Passport presentation to VSCC highlighted the changes under consideration

Discussion paper including feedback from meeting was sent to VSCC members
for formal input

Additional discussions held with individual jurisdictions to allow for differences in
provincial/territorial legislation

Negotiations ensued on the appropriate timing for implementation of the
proposed changes

A communications strategy and accompanying outreach materials (press
release, posters, etc.) were developed collaboratively
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
New Information Technologies


7
The National Routing System is a distribution system for vital event data:

The traditional bulk file transfer of accumulated records is replaced by a
messaging system that transmits record level data

As soon as the registration of a birth or death is “official”, information related to
that registration is distributed in almost real-time

All data providers and data consumers use the same data format and technology

Creates opportunities for timely data analysis
Electronic Death Registration and Electronic Birth Registration

Drop-down menus and mandatory fields improve data accuracy

Creates a reduction in paper consumption and storage

Reduces staff time in processing applications
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
Medical Coding Performance Monitoring

8
There are a number of best practices currently being used within Canada to
ensure that the medical cause of death coding is of high quality

Querying death certifiers in order to clarify coding issues

Pre-release review of selected causes of death

Correlating age with cause of death and sex with cause of death for anomalies

Monitoring the quality of the automated coding tools
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
Service Bundling

Birth bundling is popular with parents as registration includes the automatic
application for:

Social insurance number

Medical insurance

Child tax benefits

Birth certificate

For Federal departments it has provided cost savings, greater data integrity
and timely death notifications

Proposed ‘bereavement bundle’ will allow funeral directors to electronically
submit death registrations to Vital Statistics registrars

Bundling allows for common communication to citizens on services provided
by the Government
9
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23
Future Priorities



10
Increased access to vital statistics data:

Pilot project to include vital data in Research Data Centers

Provide historical birth and death data free on website

Improve Statistics Canada website to provide easier access
Improved timeliness of vital statistics data:

release preliminary data 6 to 9 months after the end of the reference period and
develop a revision policy for final data

Work towards 100% of vital events transmitted to Statistics Canada through NRS
Improved quality of vital statistics data:

review existing data standards and develop an annual review process

develop mechanism to audit the quality of the cause of death coding

develop service standards to improve the quality and timeliness of data
Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada
2016-07-23