DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WA
NAME OF COLLECTION
WA Data Linkage System
OVERVIEW
The WA Data Linkage System (WADLS) consists of linkages connecting information about health events for individuals in Western Australia. Information can be sourced from seven core datasets containing morbidity, mortality, midwives, birth, cancer, mental health, and electoral roll records. The system allows linked data to be provided for ethically approved planning, evaluation and research projects which aim to improve the health of Western Australians.
Health Information Linkage Branch (formerly the Data Linkage Unit) manages and maintains the linkage system. The group is a located in the Information Collection and Management Directorate of the Department of Health WA and collaborates with The University of Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology and the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research in promoting and undertaking research based on Western Australia’s unique population health data collections.
The WADLS consists of person-based chains of links where each link is an index to a record in one of the core data sets. All links in a particular chain have been associated with the same individual through the process of probabilistic linkage. This method of linkage relies on the availability of similar demographic information (e.g. name, gender, date of birth, address) in each data source. Whilst linkage is performed using the personal identifying information derived from each of the contributing data sources, the health details are stored and managed separately.
Data from the core datasets spans 40 years and are augmented through links to an extensive collection of external research and clinical datasets.
SCOPE
The WADLS includes the following major data collections managed by the Department of Health WA:
- The Hospital Morbidity Data Collection (HMDC) consists of discharge extracts of all admissions to public and private hospitals in WA since 1970
- The Mental Health Information System (MHIS) contains records of inpatient contacts and public outpatient contacts with the WA Mental Health System since 1966
- The WA Cancer Registry (WACR) was established in 1981 when mandatory reporting of cancer by pathologists was introduced
- Midwives Notification System (MNS) is a register of all hospital and home births in WA since 1980
- The Emergency Department Data Collection (EDDC) consists of all presentations to hospital emergency rooms from 2002
- Birth and Death registrations and WA electoral records have also been incorporated through arrangement with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the WA Electoral Commission
DATA DETAIL
Country of birth is included in several core datasets.
For information about other data items, refer to
www.health.wa.gov.au/icam. This page provides contact details for data managers of the major collections.
GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Data sources with an address field can be coded to:
- Collector's Districts (WA)
- Statistical Local Areas (WA)
AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND PUBLICATIONS
Access to the information is granted to bona fide researchers in WA who meet the stringent requirements of ethics committee clearance. Strict protocols are followed to ensure confidentiality and security of data and research is performed with the minimum amount of data required to answer the research questions.
Information about eligibility requirements, applications for data, terms and conditions, and projects is available on request.
CONTACT DETAILS
Program Manager
Health Information Linkage
Information Collection and Management
Department of Health, WA
Email:
Diana.Rosman@health.wa.gov.au
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