Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - How to Use the NDI: Steps in the Process

Chapter 2 - Preparing Your Records: Record Layout and Coding Specifications

Exhibit 1 - NDI User Records, Sample Format

Exhibit 2 - NDI User File Format and Coding Specifications

Exhibit 3 - Coding Instructions for Names

Exhibit 4 - State (or Foreign Country) of Residence, Birth and Death

Chapter 3 - Your NDI Results: Documentation  (Coming Soon!)

Chapter 4 - Assessing Your NDI Results  (Coming Soon!)

Chapter 1

How to Use the National Death Index (NDI): Steps in the Process

1. Download the NDI Application Form from the NDI website.

2. Call NDI staff for guidance. If you want to be approved for the NDI Plus service (to obtain cause of death codes), also have NDI staff e-mail you the confidentiality forms for Florida and New York City.

3. E-mail your unsigned NDI Application Form to ndi@cdc.gov.

4. NDI staff will e-mail your assigned NDI number. NDI staff will call if any revisions are needed.

5. Express mail final, signed NDI Application to NCHS. Include signed, notarized forms for Florida and New York City if you are applying for NDI Plus services. Call 301-458-4444 to confirm that we received your package. Allow approximately two months for your application to be reviewed and approved.

6. Your application will be mailed to a 12-member panel for review and comment. Your Florida and New York City forms will be forwarded to the appropriate vital statistics offices for approval along with a copy of your NDI Application Form.

7. While your application is being reviewed you can begin preparing your study subjects? records for submission (on a CD Rom or diskette). Carefully follow the specifications in Chapter 2 of this User?s Guide.

8. When your application is approved, you will receive a letter of approval and an NDI Transmittal Form.

9. Express mail your file(s) of study subjects? records to NCHS. Include an NDI Transmittal Form for each file, a Worksheet for Calculating NDI Charges, and your check or purchase order. Call 301-458-4444 to confirm that your package has been received.

10. NDI staff will express mail your NDI results in about two weeks.

11. Assess your results to identify the TRUE matches using your own selection criteria. You also have the option of purchasing death certificates directly from the state vital statistics offices?for all true matches or just for those matches you feel are questionable.

12. If additional NDI searches are needed in the future for the same study or project, first mail NCHS a signed NDI Repeat Request Form. (You will receive a new Repeat Request Form each time you receive your NDI results.) As soon as you receive a letter approving your repeat request (usually within 2 weeks), you may submit your new files for an NDI search.

NOTE: Whenever you have questions, please don?t hesitate calling 301-458-4444 or e-mail us at ndi@cdc.gov. When e-mailing, always include your phone number and assigned NDI number.
 

Chapter 2

Preparing Your Records:  Record Layout and Coding Specifications

1. Records of study subjects must be created in a standard TEXT FILE (flat file) format.

2. Each record must contain exactly 100 positions.

3. To be eligible for an NDI search, each record must contain at least one of the following combinations of data items:
   
   FIRST and LAST NAME and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
   FIRST and LAST NAME and MONTH and YEAR OF BIRTH
   SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER and DATE OF BIRTH and SEX
    

4. DO NOT USE ANY DELIMITERS SUCH AS TABS OR COMMAS TO SEPARATE THE DATA ELEMENTS.

5. Each data element must be put in its specified positions. See EXHIBIT 1 for sample user records in the required record layout.

6. Refer to EXHIBIT 2 for the file format and coding specifications for each data element.

7. Coding instructions for NAMES appear in EXHIBIT 3.

8. State codes appear in EXHIBIT 4.

9. An NDI TRANSMITTAL FORM must accompany each file submitted for an NDI search.  A blank NDI Transmittal Form(s) containing your assigned NDI search numbers will be sent to you with the letter approving your NDI search.

10. Only submit your records on a CD-ROM or a standard 3.5 inch diskette. If you put more than one file on the CD or diskette, it is helpful if you use your assigned NDI numbers in your file names. Also print your assigned NDI numbers on the outside of your CD or diskette.

11. You are encouraged to password protect your file(s).  If you do, e-mail us your password (see item 13).  The files containing your NDI results will be assigned the same password.

12. Express mail your files(s), Transmittal Form, fee worksheet, and payment to:

    NATIONAL DEATH INDEX

    National Center for Health Statistics

    3311 Toledo Road, Room 7318

    Hyattsville, MD 20782

    Phone: 301-458-4444

13. E-mail ndi@cdc.gov to confirm that your file(s) was received. Include your NDI number and the date the file was sent. If your file(s) is password protected, include your password(s) in the e-mail.

Exhibit 1:  NDI User Records, Sample Format
Create in a standard format text file, 100 positions per record, with no tabs, commas or other delimiters.

Positions of NDI Data Items
(Mouseover item below to highlight position(s) in the above sample format or click for more information.)

Exhibit 2 - NDI User File Format and Coding Specifications

EXHIBIT 3: CODING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NAMES

Surnames (last name and father's surname):

1. If the entire surname will not fit in the 20 position field, truncate it.

2. If the surname has a space or apostrophe following a prefix, such as Van Braun, Mac Pherson, O?Toole, or O?Mally, the NDI edit program will remove the space and the apostrophe between the prefix and the name.

3. If more than one surname is given, separated by a space or hyphen, type each name in the surname field. The NDI edit program will remove the space or the hyphen.

4. If a subject?s full name appears to contain a MAIDEN name (for example, Jane Karen SMITH-Lee or Jane SMITH Lee), it is important for the maiden name also to be entered separately in the FATHER?S SURNAME field to enhance the possibility of a match. Listed below are suggestions of how user records may be prepared to cover the two different situations:

Example: Jane Karen SMITH-Lee

Key-First name: JANE
Middle initial: K
Last name: SMITH-LEE
Father?s surname: SMITH

Example: Jane SMITH Lee

Key-First name: JANE
Middle initial: S
Last name: LEE
Father?s surname: SMITH

5. If more than one surname is given and you are uncertain as to which surname to put in the last name field, you should consider the merits of creating a duplicate or alias record(s), one record for each surname. This may enhance the effectiveness of the NDI file search, especially for records without Social Security numbers. You may want to flag such duplicate records by inserting codes of your own choosing in either the control number field (positions 82-91) or the optional user data field (positions 92-97).  NOTE: You are not charged for duplicate or alias records; however, please report them on your NDI Transmittal Form.

6. Suffixes or generational identifiers such as II, III, Jr., or Sr. will be removed by the NDI edit program.

7. For names such as Sister Mary Lawrence, enter LAWRENCE as the last name, SISTER MARY as the first name, and a BLANK for middle initial.

First names and middle initials:

1. If the entire first name will not fit in the field, truncate it.

2. If two first names and a middle name are given, type both first given names (with or without a space between each name) in the first name field and type the middle initial in the middle initial field (truncate).

Example: MARY ANN LOUISE Jones

Key-First name: MARY ANN
Middle initial: L

Example: MARY ANN Jones (Treat ANN as the middle name unless your records Indicate that ANN is part of the first name.)

Key-First name: MARY
Middle initial: A

3. If a person (a) goes by two distinctly different first names, (b) has a first name and a nick name, or (c) uses the shortened form of a presumed legal name (for example, Bob for Robert, Liz for Elizabeth, Ben for Benjamin) you should consider the merits of creating duplicate or alias record(s), one record for each first name. This may enhance the matching effectiveness of the NDI file search, especially for records without Social Security numbers. You may want to flag such duplicate records by inserting codes of your own choosing in either the control number field (positions 82-91) or the optional user data field (positions 92-97).  NOTE: You are not charged for duplicate or alias records; however, please report them on your NDI Transmittal Form.

4. If entries have a first initial and a middle name, enter an initial for the first name and an initial for middle name.

5. If entries have multiple middle names or initials enter only the first initial (for example, Robert M.L. Jones: type ?M? as the middle initial and drop the ?L?.

6. For infant deaths, names such as ?Baby Girl? Jones should be entered as Baby Girl for first name and Jones for last name.

EXHIBIT 4: STATE (OR FOREIGN COUNTRY) OF RESIDENCE, BIRTH AND DEATH

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This page last reviewed November 5, 1999