Residential Anonymous Linking Fields (RALFs): a novel information infrastructure to study the interaction between the environment and individuals' health.
BACKGROUND
The necessity of aggregating health data over areas can impede our understanding of health determinants.


METHODS
We demonstrate the possibility of creating anonymous links between individual residences and the local environment using digital map data and a data linkage system.


RESULTS
Digital map data were used successfully to anonymously link 1.3 million addresses to the local environment. The data linkage system allows detailed environment data surrounding each residence to be linked both to each resident therein and to their medical records.


CONCLUSIONS
Local environment data specific to each house can be effectively and anonymously linked to the population registered with the National Health Service. Our integrated approach potentially enables flexible fine-scale, large-area observational studies of communities and health.
Rodgers
Sarah E
SE
Centre for Health Information Research and Evaluation, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. s.e.rodgers@swansea.ac.uk
Lyons
Ronan A
RA
Dsilva
Rohan
R
Jones
Kerina H
KH
Brooks
Caroline J
CJ
Ford
David V
DV
John
Gareth
G
Verplancke
Jean-Philippe
JP
D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D019992:Databases as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom