Saint Leo University Standardization of Mortality Rates Responses

2 classmates responses,

one: Standardization of mortality rates is important because it allows us to see the expected number of deaths within a population. Looking at mortality rates, health care can better judge and prepare for health outcomes. Different methods of standardization are useful as well. The direct method of standardization takes death rates varied by age and applying them to a third group. With indirect standardization, the two groups are compared amongst each other. These two different methods can change the mortality rates drastically depending on the data from the third group.

References

Fleming, S. T. (Ed.). (2015). Managerial Epidemiology (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.

Health, D. (2020). NM-IBIS – Standardized Mortality Ratio. Ibis.health.state.nm.us. Retrieved 16 July 2020, from https://ibis.health.state.nm.us/resource/SMR_ISR.html.

two: Understanding and evaluating disease is easiest when there is a standardization of mortality rates. In essence, the standardization “enables us to compare two or more population groups that differ on the basis of age, sex, race, or other factors that influence mortality” (Fleming, 2015). Without standardization, a comparison of two crude rates would not allow for accurate evaluation as they do not provide information regarding the health status of a population (Naing, 2000). If standardization wasn’t used, health professionals would not be able to evaluate certain events and better prepare and plan for future similar events. Different methods of standardization (direct and indirect) allow for health professionals to examine different situational outcomes in different populations. Direct standardization is referred to the calculation of expected deaths applied to a standard population whereas indirect is used when age-related statistics are not available. Standardization of mortality rates are almost always used in regard to the reporting of deaths, diseases, and outbreaks. Although they are typically readily available, it is important for health professionals to seek these rates when evaluating different events for the best possible outcome.

References:

Fleming, S.T. (2015). Managerial Epidemiology: Concepts and Cases, 3rd Edition. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.

Naing, N. (2000). Easy Way to Learn Standardization: Direct and Indirect Methods. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3406211/#:~:text=Procedure%20for%20direct%20standardization.%20Multiply%20the%20age-specific%20mortality,number%20of%20expected%20deaths%20from%20all%20age%20groups

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