title: Development and validation of reporting guidelines for studies involving data linkage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data or record linkage is commonly used to combine existing data sets for the purpose of creating more comprehensive information to conduct research. Linked data may create additional concerns about error if cases are not linked accurately. It is important that factors compromising the quality of studies using linked data be reported in a clear and consistent way that allows readers and researchers to accurately appraise the results. The aim of this study was to develop and test reporting guidelines for evaluating the methodological quality of studies using linked data.
  
  
  METHODS
  The development process included a literature review, a Delphi process and a validation process. Participants in the process were all Australian and included biostatisticians, epidemiologists, registry administrators, academic clinicians and a peer-reviewed journal editor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final guidelines included four domains and 14 reporting items. These included: data sources (six items), research selected variables (four items), linkage technology and data analysis (three items), and ethics, privacy and data security (one item).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to develop guidelines for appraising the quality of reported data linkage studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These guidelines will assist authors to report their results in a consistent, high-quality manner. They will also assist readers to interpret the quality of results derived from data linkage studies.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research Excellence in Patient Safety, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Prahran, Victoria 3181. megan.bohensky@monash.edu
authors.forename: Megan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bohensky
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jolley
authors.forename: Vijaya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sundararajan
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D035843:Biomedical Research; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000592:standards*; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D058028:Research Report / Q000592:standards*