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      A Simple Sampling Method for Estimating the Accuracy of Large Scale Record Linkage Projects

      , , , , , ,
      Methods of Information in Medicine
      Georg Thieme Verlag KG

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          Summary

          Background: Record linkage techniques allow different data collections to be brought together to provide a wider picture of the health status of individuals. Ensuring high linkage quality is important to guarantee the quality and integrity of research. Current methods for measuring linkage quality typically focus on precision (the proportion of incorrect links), given the difficulty of measuring the proportion of false negatives.

          Objectives: The aim of this work is to introduce and evaluate a sampling based method to estimate both precision and recall following record linkage.

          Methods: In the sampling based method, record-pairs from each threshold (including those below the identified cut-off for acceptance) are sampled and clerically reviewed. These results are then applied to the entire set of record-pairs, providing estimates of false positives and false negatives. This method was evaluated on a synthetically generated dataset, where the true match status (which records belonged to the same person) was known.

          Results: The sampled estimates of linkage quality were relatively close to actual linkage quality metrics calculated for the whole synthetic dataset. The precision and recall measures for seven reviewers were very consistent with little variation in the clerical assessment results (overall agreement using the Fleiss Kappa statistics was 0.601).

          Conclusions: This method presents as a possible means of accurately estimating matching quality and refining linkages in population level linkage studies. The sampling approach is especially important for large project linkages where the number of record pairs produced may be very large often running into millions.

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          Most cited references16

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          Population-based linkage of health records in Western Australia: development of a health services research linked database

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            Advances in Record-Linkage Methodology as Applied to Matching the 1985 Census of Tampa, Florida

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              A research registry: uses, development, and accuracy.

              L Roos (1999)
              Many studies of population health, clinical epidemiology, and health services can be supported by a population-based research registry. Such a registry accurately defines the health insurance status for each individual over many years, magnifying the effectiveness of a cross-sectional registry (typically relevant for only a short duration) used in the administration of a health insurance plan. A research registry can distinguish between "well" individuals (no contact with the health care system), loss to follow-up (ineligibility associated with leaving the insurance plan), loss of continuity (two or more unlinked registrations over time for the same person), and mortality. The Manitoba research registry was developed to facilitate longitudinal studies; working within strict confidentiality controls, identifiers for each individual known to Manitoba Health since 1970 can be retrieved and a single unique identifier assigned. Careful reporting of changes in family registration numbers has enabled tracing area of residence, marital status, and family characteristics; results are equivalent to a daily census of the province. This article provides details on source materials, design, and quality of the registry, highlighting its value both for the development of integrated population health information systems and for research in general.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Methods of Information in Medicine
                Methods Inf Med
                Georg Thieme Verlag KG
                0026-1270
                2511-705X
                January 08 2018
                2016
                January 08 2018
                2016
                : 55
                : 03
                : 276-283
                Article
                10.3414/ME15-01-0152
                27096424
                caedea2f-6ace-4843-be26-e0a90f220fe4
                © 2016
                History

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