Privacy Protection
The protocols and procedures developed for the WA Data Linkage System are now accepted as international best practice (Kelman CW, Bass AJ & Holman, CDJ. 2002. See Kelman_Bass for abstract (word format, 10kB).These privacy preserving protocols have been developed to maximise link efficiency and minimise the risk to privacy, while providing access to information for approved research projects. Essential elements for research using this resource include consumer involvement in the decision-making process, ethics approval for all research projects and use of deidentified information wherever possible. A recent study has shown that data linkage conducted in accordance with best practice protocols is an effective intervention now available to conserve patient privacy in a research rich environment (Trutwein, B. et al, 2005). Figure 1 below shows that WA research projects using name-identified data fell from 94% in 1994 to 36% in 2003. For further information see "Impact of WA Data Linkage on Protection of Privacy in Health Research" Impact_Privacy_Protection (pdf format, 160kB).
