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Creating a population-based linked health database: a new resource for health services research
R Chamberlayne1, B Green, M L Barer
1Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique
|September 15, 1998
Summary
Linking health data in British Columbia enables crucial health services research and policy development. This success highlights the value of integrated databases while addressing ethical considerations for data access.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Data Management
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Increasing demand for comprehensive health utilization and outcome data for research and policy.
- Need for robust methods to link person-specific health records across different databases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the successful integration of population-based administrative health databases in British Columbia.
- To demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of creating a linked health data resource.
Main Methods:
- Construction of a historical file of all registered persons in the healthcare system.
- Probabilistic linkage of various program files to a central 'coordinating' file.
- Development of policies and procedures for ethical research access to linked data.
Main Results:
- High success rate in matching service events to person-specific registration records.
- Enabled previously infeasible research projects.
- Established a framework for addressing ethical issues and confidentiality in data linkage.
Conclusions:
- Linked administrative health databases are a valuable resource for health services research and planning.
- Successful data linkage requires attention to confidentiality and ethical considerations.
- The British Columbia model demonstrates a feasible approach to integrating population-based health data.
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