Proposed Framework for Adopting Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage for Public Health Action.

Area of Science:

• Public Health Informatics
• Data Linkage Technologies
• Health Data Privacy

Background:

• Public health research and surveillance increasingly rely on linked datasets.
• Privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL) offers a solution for secure data integration.
• A structured approach is needed to guide PPRL adoption in public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a framework for the adoption of privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL).
• To guide public health applications in implementing PPRL for data linkage.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 12 interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs).
• Coded interview data using an inductive approach.
• Held a collaborative session with SMEs to define the PPRL project lifecycle and develop an implementation checklist.

Main Results:

• Developed a two-level framework: organizational and project/program.
• Identified key considerations including governance, solution choice, longitudinal needs, vendor lock-in, costs, use case specifics, linkage quality, data privacy, security, and architecture compatibility.
• Created a PPRL implementation checklist for public health practitioners.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework can guide public health entities in adopting and implementing PPRL.
• The framework and checklist assist experts in assessing PPRL appropriateness and planning implementation for research and surveillance.