SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

STRATEGY FOR RECORD LINKAGE

Rob Wishart

Chief Statistician

CURRENT PICTURE

• An increasing range of excellent projects• Developments in methods and activity• Growing multi-agency interest and enthusiasm• Beyond 2011

• All extremely positive • But piecemeal……

BENEFITS FROM A STRATEGIC APPROACH

• Efficiency

• Joined-up data → joined-up analysis → joined-up policy and service delivery

• Input data linked with process data linked with output data → understanding outcomes

CAPITALISE ON ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATION AND ADVANCES IN DATA LINKAGE:IMPROVED STATISTICAL INFORMATION

NO ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON DATA PROVIDERS

4. RESOURCES

1. PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT

AND OVERSIGHT

2. LEGAL ANDETHICAL ISSUES,

PUBLICPERCEPTION

3. TECHNICAL

GrowingUp in

Scotland

Health andEthnicity Linkage

StudyScotXed

ScottishLongitudinal

StudyScottish

Health andInformatics

platform

EmergencyAdmissions and Social

care

PeopleWith

Dementia

PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT AND OVERSIGHT

• Need for a Steering Group• Agree vision and long-term aims• Co-ordinate, add impetus, but avoid

prescription• Establish links, step up co-ordination, seek

cohesion across projects• Arrange for sharing good practice &

avoiding overlap

LEGAL, ETHICAL AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION

• Establish clear, common processes for – establishing legitimacy – Considering privacy and ethical issues– Assessing Data Access Agreements – Assessing Privacy Impact Assessments

• Consider need for new legislation • Minimise risk of inappropriate use of data• Minimise perception of inappropriateness

TECHNICAL

Develop and share across projects:• Expertise• Data linkage mechanisms• Recommended methods • Standards in unique referencing• IT solutions• Data security • Statistical disclosure control methods

NEXT STEPS

• Establish a Steering Group

• Share learning from past and current projects

• Build consensus around a vision

• Build on existing Scottish projects