Definition - What does Mortality mean?

Mortality refers to death. While the term may be used to describe an individual's death, it is often used to refer to data tracking a large number of deaths or the rate of death within a population. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) tracks mortality rates and the cause of death for adults and children throughout the world. Current research indicates that a lack of health insurance is linked to higher mortality by preventable causes.

SureHire explains Mortality

With regard to population health care, mortality data can be used to identify areas where poor health care or other risk factors contribute to higher death rates. The information may also be used to target health conditions for preventative intervention. "Mortality amenable to health care" is a a term used to describe deaths of individuals under the age of 75 that might be prevented through effective and timely provision of healthcare. Mortality rates may also be used to assess the effectiveness of specific treatments or quality of individual healthcare facilities. Mortality rates are sometimes used in ranking the severity of certain types of accidents and safety risks in the workplace.

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