This survey is based on a sample of 20,000 death certificates recorded during calendar year 1986 in the NCHS Current Mortality Sample. Mail questionnaires are sent to the next-of-kin of the deceased approximately five months after the date of death, with follow-up of nonrespondents by telephone or personal interview. In the first three quarters of data collection a response rate of 89 percent has been achieved. The data collection for this study will continue into FY 1988, and it is now estimated that a data tape will be made available to the EDB Program in the fall of 1988. We are now in the process of executing a small add-on to the interagency agreement to provide support for a reinterview of a sample of responses for the purpose of estimating the reliability of the responses received, and to exercise quality control over the field data collection.
