Development of the Verbal Autopsy Instrument for COVID-19 (VAIC).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Improving accuracy of identification of COVID-19-related deaths is essential to public health surveillance and research. The verbal autopsy, an established strategy involving an interview with a decedent's caregiver or witness using a semi-structured questionnaire, may improve accurate counting of COVID-19-related deaths.

Objective

To develop and pilot-test the Verbal Autopsy Instrument for COVID-19 (VAIC) and a death adjudication protocol using it.

Methods/key results

We used a multi-step process to design the VAIC and a protocol for its use. We developed a preliminary version of a verbal autopsy instrument specifically for COVID. We then pilot-tested this instrument by interviewing respondents about the deaths of 15 adults aged ≥65 during the initial COVI

SUBMITTER: Rosen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8231744 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature