Death Registration
Purpose
The Death Registration workflow is used to formally document a patient’s death in the Immunization Information System (IIS). It ensures that the death is recorded accurately and respectfully, and that the patient’s record is closed to prevent further clinical activity.
Recording a death is an essential part of professional clinical documentation. It confirms the final outcome of care, prevents future interventions from being scheduled, and contributes to accurate mortality reporting for public health monitoring and statistical purposes.
⚠️ Once a death is recorded and confirmed, the patient is permanently marked as Deceased. This action cannot be undone in the IIS.
When to Use
You should use the Death Registration workflow when a patient has died either during an active clinical encounter or after discharge. If the death occurs during a current visit, you can remain in that encounter and add a Death Report directly. If the death is being reported later, start a new Death Registration visit and complete the same steps.
Step 1 — Identify the Patient
Begin by opening the View Patient page. Carefully verify the patient’s full name, date of birth, identifiers, and facility. If the patient is currently admitted or being seen in the clinic, remain in the active visit. If the death is being recorded after discharge, click Start Visit and select Death Registration from the list of available templates.
Confirm that the patient you are viewing is the correct individual before proceeding. This prevents misattribution of the death report to the wrong record.
Step 2 — Add the Death Report
Once the appropriate visit is open, look to the lower left corner of the screen and click the Add (＋) button. From the list of available actions, select Death Report. This will open the form used to document the death.
Ensure that you are adding the Death Report within the correct encounter before proceeding to data entry.
Step 3 — Complete the Death Report Form
When the Death Report form appears, carefully complete all required details.
In the Time of Death field, enter the confirmed or reported date and time of death. The field will default to the current time but can be edited to reflect the actual time of death.
In the Cause of Death field, select the appropriate entry from the provided coded list. If the cause is not available, choose Unspecified or Other Event and provide a short description.
In the Verification Status field, confirm that the death has been verified by an authorized clinician or appropriate source. This field defaults to Confirmed.
After entering all details, review the information for accuracy and completeness. Once verified, click Complete to save the report.
The system will record your name as the performer, the date and time the report was completed, and all entered details.
The status of the act changes from Active to Completed, confirming that it has been finalized.
Step 4 — Review and Close the Visit
Before ending the visit, review all other clinical actions documented during the encounter, such as vital signs, immunizations, or medications. Ensure that everything accurately reflects the patient’s final care and that no incomplete actions remain.
When the review is complete, click End Visit. A summary of all actions performed will appear for confirmation.
In the Discharge Reason dropdown, select Died. This discharge reason ensures the system recognizes the outcome of death. Click End Visit again to confirm and close the encounter.
Once the visit is ended, the system will automatically update the patient’s status to Deceased.
Step 5 — Verify the Patient’s Record
After saving, verify that the death has been correctly applied to the patient’s profile. The DECEASED label will appear beside the date of birth, and a banner will display the message: “This patient record has been flagged as a deceased patient. The profile for the patient is read-only.”
Confirm that the banner and label are visible. You will no longer be able to add new visits or actions to this record, as it is now locked and read-only.
Behind the Scenes (System Logic)
When a death report is completed or when a visit is discharged as “Died,” the system performs a set of automated background actions to maintain the integrity of health records.
The patient’s deceased date is updated on their master record.
A ClinicalState = Dead status is applied to the record.
The record becomes read-only and cannot be modified.
(Upcoming enhancement) The system will automatically un-enrol the patient from any active carepaths or scheduled follow-ups.
These safeguards ensure that the patient’s record remains accurate and that no future activities are proposed for a deceased individual.
Clinical Guidance
Recording a death is a sensitive task that requires accuracy, respect, and verification. Only qualified clinical staff should complete this workflow.
Before recording a death:
Confirm the patient’s identity using all available details.
Verify the date, time, and cause of death with appropriate clinical documentation or confirmation.
Ensure there are no duplicate records or prior death entries.
Complete any remaining visit actions to ensure the record reflects final care provided.
After recording the death:
Verify that the encounter has been closed with the Died discharge reason.
Confirm that the DECEASED label and banner are visible on the patient profile.
Notify your supervisor or data officer immediately if an error is identified.
💡 Once marked Deceased, the record is locked and cannot be reversed. Any corrections must be requested through authorized system support channels.
Summary
The Death Registration process begins by verifying the correct patient and visit. You then add a Death Report within the open encounter and document the confirmed or reported time, cause, and verification of death. Once all fields are complete, you review the visit and discharge it using the reason Died. After closing the visit, you confirm that the patient’s record displays the DECEASED label and read-only banner. This ensures the patient’s record is permanently closed, all carepaths are stopped, and the facility maintains accurate and ethical documentation of death events.
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