Search results for "Computer processing"

Effects of record linkage errors on disease registration

1998

Abstract:Reliable record linkage is a prerequisite for high-quality population-based disease registration. Rapid developments in computer processing have made record linkage both more efficient and more reliable in recent years. At the same time, concerns about confidentiality increasingly hinder record linkage in many disease registries. This paper provides basic algebraic models describing the effects of record linkage errors on monitoring disease incidence. Homonym errors, that is, erroneous linkage of records that pertain to distinct individuals, lead to underestimation of incidence in the registry population. The degree of underestimation strongly depends on the discriminating power of…