Mortality Rate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mortality Rate - Research Paper Example Adjusting the mortality rates is important if we have to compare populations of age-sex groups or belonging to different time periods. â€Å"In order to avoid errors in interpretation, mortality rates must be adjusted to a common population with a known age structure† (Hispanic Health Homepage, 2001). Thus, we standardize the mortality rates. This also called adjustment to calculate mortality rate and its significance is seen when we observe that there are many diseases that occur at different rates in different ages. For examples, cancer occurs most often in elder people while physical injuries happen to younger age group within the same population. So, when we age-adjust the statistics, we can tell what health conditions the population is suffering from and what are the mortality rates when compared with other populations (Department of Health, 1999). If we use unadjusted mortality rates, then this comparison is not possible and it also becomes difficult to interpret the dif ferences between the mortality rates of different populations or different time periods. Question2 Adjusted and unadjusted mortality rates are useful for healthcare organizations in decision making process in that when a speedy result is required in making comparisons of health conditions or mortality, then crude or unadjusted rates are sufficient.