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Record linkage in a regional mental health planning study: Accuracy of unique identifiers, reliability of sociodemographics, and estimating identification error

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Abstract

Assembling information about individuals over time allows health managers and researchers to describe the progression of diseases, the care history of individuals and the sequences of care episodes that potentially result in improving individuals’ health status. However, current mental health statistics generally focus on sets of events rather than groups of individuals making it impossible to distinguish between two different persons being admitted and the same person being admitted twice. Accurate figures on treatment prevalence cannot be generated and multiservice users across time or across agencies will inflate the statistics used to plan needed services. The capacity to link consistently defined bits of information together is critical to developing a reliable information system. This article examines the adequacy of using unique identifier codes to accomplish linkage by focusing on one example of record linkage that incorporates mental health information from both community and institutional sectors in one region of Ontario, Canada. Findings indicate that unique “cradle to grave” identifiers do not guarantee accuracy if manual transcription is involved.

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Author notes

  1. J. J. O’Doherty M.B., F.R.C.P.(C.) (unit director)

    Present address: Lakehead University, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, Station P, 580 Algoma Street North, Thunder Bay, P.O. Box 2930, P7B 5G4, Ontario, Canada

    A. J. Dalrymple Ph.D. (Director of Research), L. S. Lahti B.A., B.Ed. (research assistant), L. J. Hutchinson M.D., F.R.C.P.(C.) (clinical director) & J. J. O’Doherty M.B., F.R.C.P.(C.) (unit director)

Authors
  1. A. J. Dalrymple Ph.D.
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  2. L. S. Lahti B.A., B.Ed.
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  3. L. J. Hutchinson M.D., F.R.C.P.(C.)
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  4. J. J. O’Doherty M.B., F.R.C.P.(C.)
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Additional information

Parts of this research were supported by an Ontario Mental Health Foundation (OMHF) grant to the first author to study data linkage systems and by a Hospital Incentives Fund grant. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the ministry of Health or the facility that sanctioned the research.

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Dalrymple, A.J., Lahti, L.S., Hutchinson, L.J. et al. Record linkage in a regional mental health planning study: Accuracy of unique identifiers, reliability of sociodemographics, and estimating identification error. The Journal of Mental Health Administration 21, 185–192 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02521325

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02521325

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