Vital Statistics

What is Vital Statistics?

The Ohio Vital Statistics system includes one state office housed at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and 138 local registrars. Local registrars collect birth, death and fetal death records, which are forwarded to the state office for verification, coding and permanent filing. Each year, the state office of Vital Statistics registers some 153,000 births, 108,000 deaths, 1,900 fetal deaths, 81,000 marriages, 45,000 divorces, 37,000 abortions, 57,000 paternity actions, 6,500 adoptions and 5,000 other court actions. An estimated 800,000 certified birth and death certificates are issued annually from state and local registrars.

Why are Vital Records Important?

Vital records provide legal documentation of births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages and divorces for every Ohioan and information for public and private agencies including the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and SSA just to name a few. Certified birth certificates are necessary to obtain a driver's license; probate a will; obtain a passport and also for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Finally birth, death and fetal death records are the primary source of public health information on important topics such as access to prenatal care, maternal risk factors, infant mortality, causes of death and life expectancy.

How Is Ohio Improving its Vital Statistics Services?

In the last 18 months, ODH Vital Statistics has eliminated 11 positions yet at the same time has decreased the amount of time it takes to process information. Consider the following: average time to register a birth fell to two months from seven months; time to register a death fell to three months from 10 months; time to issue a certified copy fell to one week from eight weeks; time to register an adoption fell to two weeks from six months; and time to register a paternity action fell to two months from 18 months.

What Challenges Lie Ahead?

Ohio is working to implement new standard reports and certificates based on contract requirements with NCHS by Jan. 1, 2005. The nation is changing birth certificates by 2005 and death certificates by 2007. If this challenge is not met, Ohio will be the only state not included in national statistics. This will require significant restructuring of Ohio's Vital Statistics network to include a digitized system that allows electronic collection, transmission and access to vital records which will lead to increased efficiency, security and prevention of identity fraud while improving the quality of public health information.

Digitization of Records
Vital Statistics uses a paper-based system to record, index and archive all vital records. These records must be updated manually every time a change, such as an adoption or a change of name, is made to a record. The result is an inefficient, unsecured system at risk of losing valuable information. Therefore, Vital Statistics is working to digitize all of its some 30 million records in a centralized database accessible by all local registrars.
Increase Security and Prevent Identity Fraud
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Ohio is particularly vulnerable to identity theft because of several factors in its Vital Statistics system: 139 local registrars issue certificates using their own paper, format and seal; Ohio is one of only 10 states allowing unrestricted access to birth records; and birth certificates can be purchased without identification from some vital records offices. Finally, Ohio is the only state in the nation which allows unrestricted access to uncertified copes of birth, death and fetal death certificates for a fee of 5 cents. As such, birth certificates from Ohio represent 15 percent of all fraud investigations conducted by the New Orleans Regional Passport Office and INS singled out Ohio birth certificates as a preferred document to use to gain illegal entry into the United States.