Medical Examiner Information for Certifying Physicians

Certifying the natural deaths of your patients correctly and promptly is not only your statutory duty, but is an important final act of care for your patient, and their grieving family.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions – we are happy to help. An improperly completed death certificate can result in delay of funeral arrangement for families and other complications. 

Resources to help you properly complete the medical certificate of death

The CDC has created a mobile Cause of Death Reference Guide, which provides guidelines and tips for accurate cause of death statements, which can be downloaded at the links below.

Further, weve put together a quick reference guide for proper death certification to use as a reference when signing death certificates. Our goal is to provide you the resources you may need to fill out the death certificate accurately. In the instance that the death certificate is filled out incorrectly, you may be contacted by the Office of the Medical Examiner, the County Clerk, or State of Michigan Vital Records.

Other resources include: