End of Life Care — Complete an Electronic Death Certificate — Clinical Pathway: Emergency

End of Life Care Clinical Pathway — Emergency Department

Complete an Electronic Death Certificate Using eVitals Account

Providers should only file a death certificate if the Medical Examiner (ME) does not accept the case. For cases accepted, the ME will complete death certificate.

If you don't have an account, use this Enrolling Tip Sheet to create one. This process will not have an immediate turnaround and will take several days to complete.

Use the Filing a Death Certificate Tip Sheet, view Workday Learning Module or follow the steps below to file a death certificate using eVitals.

  1. Go to Pennsylvania Department of Health eVitals
  2. Choose "Business Partner Login". Sign in using Keystone Key ID (business partner ("b-"))
  3. In the upper left corner, click to expand the horizontal lines. Select "Life events" > "Death" > "Start New Case"
    • To locate an existing case, use wildcard (%) search. Choose Case ID or Name to edit a chart or preview a case.
    • eVitals uses the information to determine if a case with matching demographic information exists in the system. If there is none, the user can create a new case.
  4. The system requests necessary information for the different parts of the death certificate. Some elements, like date of birth and age, cannot be completed because those elements will be completed by the funeral home.
    • As the entered information is saved, the system will error check, giving error messages at the bottom of display if there are issues to be addressed.
    • Save to recheck data. Some errors can be overridden.
    • Parts of the certificate will be marked with a traffic light as a status indicator. Data elements in place of death will auto-populate based on responses (i.e., by selecting "hospital inpatient" as the place of death).
  5. Pronouncement section
    • Some data elements, such as pronouncer, don’t actually need to be completed for the death certificate.
    • Pronouncer information can be looked up in the facility database and is completed that way. Fields cannot accept free text.
  6. Cause of death section
    • CDC website explains how to complete this section.
    • Depending on what is entered for cause of death, ancillary forms may need to be attached using DynaSoft browser plug-in to upload forms.
  7. Other factors section
    • Includes autopsy, pregnancy, tobacco use-related death, and ME notification.
  8. Certifier section
    • Information on the certifier, drawn from facility’s user database.
    • Use "Look up certifier" button. Fields cannot accept free text. Once all data has been validated and the sections are ‘green’, the case can be digitally certified.
  9. If the morgue requests a ‘paper’ copy of the death certificate
    • Generate a WORKING COPY of the death certificate. Do Not select "drop to paper." It ideally needs legal-sized paper although it can be printed across two letter-sized pages and can also be saved as a PDF.

ED Providers: If difficulty completing, please contact Dan Corwin, Eron Friedlaender, Andrea Anderson, or the ED Medical Director of the Day.

Electronic forms are the preferred method of completion. Options if unable to complete electronic form due to technical difficulties or downtime:

  1. Paper death certificates are available in the ED Charge Nurse binder or, during business hours, from the Connelly Center (Family Learning Center) by calling x46078
  2. Or use a medical certification worksheet.