Morbidity Statistics from General Practice

In the absence of appropriately collected and published data on health of the population, there has been a tendency to use mortality data as a substitute for health survey data. This can be defended where there is a clear suggestion that the data being used are related in a known way to the incidence or prevalence of disease in the population. For example, with a disease that is rapidly fatal for all patients affected (and assuming accurate certification and analysis of mortality data), a valid picture of the distribution of the disease in the population can be obtained from mortality data. In contrast, such material is of little use in assessing the burden placed upon the patient and his family by a chronic disabling disease with low fatality.