LINKING INDIVIDUAL DATA - METHODS OF RECO RD LINKAGE

Citation
C. Rumeaurouquette, LINKING INDIVIDUAL DATA - METHODS OF RECO RD LINKAGE, Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publique, 45(3), 1997, pp. 248-256
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath
ISSN journal
03987620
Volume
45
Issue
3
Year of publication
1997
Pages
248 - 256
Database
ISI
SICI code
0398-7620(1997)45:3<248:LID-MO>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
This paper gives an overview of linking methods of personal data compu ted in different files as registers and administrative or medical reco rds. Epidemiological and demographic examples are studied, then the su ccessive steps of record linkage are described : definition and choice of identifiants, searching and comparing pairs of records to determin e whether they should be linked. A special mention is made to probabil ity matching and methods optimizing the matching procedures. The discu ssion envisages the advantages of record linkage : better use of healt h statistics, new types of epidemiologic studies. The ethical problems and the need for evaluation are also discussed.