The joint use of a Subsystem for High Complexity Procedure Authorization (Apac) with other systems, such as the Mortality Information System and the Hospital Information System (SIH), allows users to trace the trajectory of health services. The present study aimed at measuring the underreported deaths through information from Apac in Brazil, from 2000 to 2004. Underreporting measures were stratified by sex, age, city population size, the Human Development Index (HDI) of the Federated Unit, region of residence at baseline and initial treatment modality. The overall underreporting was of 15.5%. The higher underreporting of deaths occurred among dialysis patients living in the Southeast, with the highest HDI and in smaller cities. Incorporating the city in which death occurred and assessing whether underreporting is higher when the municipality of occurrence is different from that of residence, will help establishing ways to correct the underreported information.
death; mortality; national health systems