Document 1108
 DOCN  M9591108
 TI    Evaluating the quality of anonymous record linkage using deterministic
       procedures with the New York State AIDS registry and a hospital
       discharge file [see comments]
 DT    9509
 AU    Muse AG; Mikl J; Smith PF; New York State Department of Health, Albany
       12237, USA.
 SO    Stat Med. 1995 Mar 15-Apr 15;14(5-7):499-509. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/95312708
 CM    Comment in: Stat Med 1995 Mar 15-Apr 15;14(5-7):687-9
 AB    Linkage of same-person records across multiple databases relies on
       high-quality, uniformly available identifying information. These data
       quality issues become increasingly important when personal names are not
       available for record linkage. Using deterministic decision criteria, we
       linked records from two population-based files in the absence of
       personal names. The sensitivity of anonymous record linkage procedures
       ranged from 32 to 85 per cent for the two years studied, and the
       positive predictive value (PPV) ranged from 14 to 99 per cent.
       Decreasing sensitivity and PPV were primarily attributed to (1) errors
       in computerized identifying information and (2) the deterministic
       decision criteria specified for record linkage. An evaluation of the
       contribution of personal names to the quality of record linkage found no
       measurable impact.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*EPIDEMIOLOGY  Algorithms
       *Databases, Factual  Disease Notification  Female  Hospital Information
       Systems  Human  Male  Medical Record Linkage/METHODS/*STANDARDS  New
       York/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Patient Discharge/*STATISTICS & NUMER DATA
       Population Surveillance  Predictive Value of Tests  Quality Control
       Random Allocation  *Registries  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  JOURNAL
       ARTICLE

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