Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30219957›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of epidemiology2019

Approach to record linkage of primary care data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink to other health-related patient data: overview and implications.

Shivani Padmanabhan, Lucy Carty, Ellen Cameron, Rebecca E Ghosh, Rachael Williams, Helen Strongman

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of epidemiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 125 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
125citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

125 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  11. Prediagnostic prescription patterns in pancreatic cancer: a retrospective primary care cohort study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
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65 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shivani PadmanabhanClinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, UK. Shivani.padmanabhan@mhra.gov.uk.
Lucy CartyClinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, UK.
Ellen CameronNHS Digital, 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6AE, UK.
Rebecca E GhoshClinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, UK.
Rachael WilliamsClinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, UK.
Helen StrongmanClinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), MHRA, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Record linkage is increasingly used to expand the information available for public health research. An understanding of record linkage methods and the relevant strengths and limitations is important for robust analysis and interpretation of linked data. Here, we describe the approach used by Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) to link primary care data to other patient level datasets, and the potential implications of this approach for CPRD data analysis. General practice electronic health record software providers separately submit de-identified data to CPRD and patient identifiers to NHS Digital, excluding patients who have opted-out from contributing data. Data custodians for external datasets also send patient identifiers to NHS Digital. NHS Digital uses identifiers to link the datasets using an 8-stage deterministic methodology. CPRD subsequently receives a de-identified linked cohort file and provides researchers with anonymised linked data and metadata detailing the linkage process. This methodology has been used to generate routine primary care linked datasets, including data from Hospital Episode Statistics, Office for National Statistics and National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service. 10.6 million (M) patients from 411 English general practices were included in record linkage in June 2018. 9.1M (86%) patients were of research quality, of which 8.0M (88%) had a valid NHS number and were eligible for linkage in the CPRD standard linked dataset release. Linking CPRD data to other sources improves the range and validity of research studies. This manuscript, together with metadata generated on match strength and linkage eligibility, can be used to inform study design and explore potential linkage-related selection and misclassification biases.

Indexed as

Biomedical ResearchData AnalysisElectronic Health RecordsMedical Record LinkagePrimary Health CareData AnonymizationData CollectionDatasets as TopicHumansState MedicineUnited KingdomClinical Practice Research DatalinkDeterministic linkageElectronic health recordsPrimary care dataRecord linkage

Identifiers

PMID30219957
PMCPMC6325980

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.