MSDH's Electronic Death Registration System provides online reporting of fact-of-death and cause-of-death information by appropriate authorities.

All coroners, funeral homes, and hospitals should be registered in the EDRS and filing deaths electronically by October 1, 2019.

In June 2017, the Office of Vital Records (MSDH-VR) launched the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) in Mississippi. The primary purpose of an EDRS is to provide online access so that decedent fact-of-death and cause-of-death information can be registered electronically by multiple death registration participants working on the same case at the same time. This online registration process utilizes electronic signatures and is simple and easy to use.

The EDRS has several useful features:

• Electronic Social Security Administration (SSA) notification of death.
• Eliminates the need to physically deliver the paper record to a physician, C/ME or funeral home.
• Allows the funeral home to electronically order certified copies.

The staggered regional rollout began in June 2017 and ended in April 2018 where coroner, funeral home and hospital trainings were conducted. Now training is concentrated on Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee funeral homes.

In April 2019, Vital Records added a State Medical Examiner (SME) component to the EDRS. This will streamline reporting by eliminating the need for the coroner to amend the pending certificate for cases where the final cause and manner of death is referred to the SME for postmortem examination.

All coroners, funeral homes, and hospitals should be registered in the EDRS and filing deaths electronically by October 1, 2019. There are no exceptions for small funeral homes or hospitals. No paper certificates will be accepted after this date.

EDRS Equipment Requirements

The EDRS is a web-based system and requires the ability to connect with the Internet. EDRS accessible devices can be a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or Chromebook. EDRS will also work on a smart phone but this device is not supported at this time.

How to contact the EDRS Help Desk

For assistance during the regular work day 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, email EDRSHelp@msdh.ms.gov or call 601-206-8275.

EDRS User Guide and Tutorials

• EDRS User Guide PDF
• VIEWS II Integration with EDRS PDF
• EDRS SME Video Tutorial
  How to complete a record using the EDRS State Medical Examiner Component (1:59).
  
• EDRS Tutorial: Certified Physicians
  4:00
  
• EDRS Tutorial: Coroners and Certified Medical Examiners
  9:51
  
• EDRS Tutorial: Facility System Administrators
  7:02
  
• EDRS Tutorial: Funeral Clerks and Directors
  8:16
  
• EDRS Tutorial: Hospital and Hospice Clerks
  4:07