ArticleBMC health services research2010
Data linkage: a powerful research tool with potential problems.
Article in BMC health services research, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 111 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
111 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Development of Indirect Health Data Linkage on Health Product Use and Care Trajectories in France: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Data Linkage Publications on Diabetes in Australia.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- GUILD: GUidance for Information about Linking Data sets.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2018Guideline
- The REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected health Data (RECORD) statement.PLoS medicine · 2015Guideline
- Trial
- Enhancing population-wide administrative data to better understand mortality risk in underserved groups.SSM - population health · 2026Article
- Attitudes towards data access and sharing health data for research: a case study of Australian data custodian perspectives.Health information management : journal of the Health Information Management Association of Australia · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the Accuracy of Probabilistic Record Linkage Across Sociodemographic Categories in 4 Databases: Exploratory Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Health-related quality of life among adults with chronic diseases: a linked, retrospective cohort study using the EQ-5D-5L in Queensland, Australia.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Procedure-level data linkage to drive improvement in case ascertainment for the Australian Breast Device Registry.Health information management : journal of the Health Information Management Association of Australia · 2026Article
- Linking clinical trial data with real-world data for enhanced clinical evidence generation: methodological considerations and recommendations.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Longitudinal tracking of healthcare professionals: a methodological scoping review.BMC medical research methodology · 2025Article
- Use of Data Linkage Methods to Investigate Healthcare Interactions in Individuals Who Self-harm and Die by Suicide: A Scoping Review.Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi · 2025Article
- Exploring Metadata Catalogs in Health Care Data Ecosystems: Taxonomy Development Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Evaluation of the implementation of personalised outcomes forecasts to optimise supervised exercise therapy in patients with intermittent claudication: a multimethods process evaluation.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Willingness of population health survey participants to provide personal health information and biological samples.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Age-specific differences in cervical cancer screening rates in women using mental health services in New South Wales, Australia.The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry · 2024Article
- Results from a retrospective case finding and re-engagement exercise for people previously diagnosed with hepatitis C virus to increase uptake of directly acting antiviral treatment.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Impact of linkage level on inferences from big data analyses in health and medical research: an empirical study.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2024Article
- Optimising the use of electronic medical records for large scale research in psychiatry.Translational psychiatry · 2024Review
51 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPolicy makers, clinicians and researchers are demonstrating increasing interest in using data linked from multiple sources to support measurement of clinical performance and patient health outcomes. However, the utility of data linkage may be compromised by sub-optimal or incomplete linkage, leading to systematic bias. In this study, we synthesize the evidence identifying participant or population characteristics that can influence the validity and completeness of data linkage and may be associated with systematic bias in reported outcomes.
methodsA narrative review, using structured search methods was undertaken. Key words "data linkage" and Mesh term "medical record linkage" were applied to Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL databases between 1991 and 2007. Abstract inclusion criteria were; the article attempted an empirical evaluation of methodological issues relating to data linkage and reported on patient characteristics, the study design included analysis of matched versus unmatched records, and the report was in English. Included articles were grouped thematically according to patient characteristics that were compared between matched and unmatched records.
resultsThe search identified 1810 articles of which 33 (1.8%) met inclusion criteria. There was marked heterogeneity in study methods and factors investigated. Characteristics that were unevenly distributed among matched and unmatched records were; age (72% of studies), sex (50% of studies), race (64% of studies), geographical/hospital site (93% of studies), socio-economic status (82% of studies) and health status (72% of studies).
conclusionA number of relevant patient or population factors may be associated with incomplete data linkage resulting in systematic bias in reported clinical outcomes. Readers should consider these factors in interpreting the reported results of data linkage studies.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.