Holman C D'Arcy J, Bass A John, Rosman Diana L, Smith Merran B, Semmens James B, Glasson Emma J, Brook Emma L, Trutwein Brooke, Rouse Ian L, Watson Charles R, de Klerk Nicholas H, Stanley Fiona J
Centre for Health Services Research, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
Aust Health Rev. 2008 Nov;32(4):766-77. doi: 10.1071/ah080766.
The report describes the strategic design, steps to full implementation and outcomes achieved by the Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS), instigated in 1995 to link up to 40 years of data from over 30 collections for an historical population of 3.7 million. Staged development has seen its expansion, initially from a linkage key to local health data sets, to encompass links to national and local health and welfare data sets, genealogical links and spatial references for mapping applications.
The WADLS has supported over 400 studies with over 250 journal publications and 35 graduate research degrees. Applications have occurred in health services utilisation and outcomes, aetiologic research, disease surveillance and needs analysis, and in methodologic research.
Longitudinal studies have become cheaper and more complete; deletion of duplicate records and correction of data artifacts have enhanced the quality of information assets; data linkage has conserved patient privacy; community machinery necessary for organised responses to health and social problems has been exercised; and the commercial return on research infrastructure investment has exceeded 1000%. Most importantly, there have been unbiased contributions to medical knowledge and identifiable advances in population health arising from the research.
本报告描述了西澳大利亚数据链接系统（WADLS）的战略设计、全面实施步骤及取得的成果。该系统于1995年启动，旨在将来自30多个数据集的长达40年的数据进行链接，覆盖370万历史人口。分阶段发展使其不断扩展，最初从链接本地健康数据集的关键环节，扩展到涵盖与国家和本地健康及福利数据集的链接、系谱链接以及用于地图应用的空间参考。
WADLS已支持了400多项研究，发表了250多篇期刊论文，并授予了35个研究生研究学位。应用领域包括卫生服务利用与结果、病因学研究、疾病监测与需求分析以及方法学研究。
纵向研究成本更低且更完整；删除重复记录和纠正数据伪像提高了信息资产的质量；数据链接保护了患者隐私；运用了有组织应对健康和社会问题所需的社区机制；研究基础设施投资的商业回报率超过了1000%。最重要的是，该研究对医学知识做出了公正贡献，并在人群健康方面取得了显著进展。
