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. 2014 Aug;30(8):1623-32.
doi: 10.1590/0102-311x00024914.

Accuracy of a probabilistic record-linkage methodology used to track blood donors in the Mortality Information System database

Ligia Capuani  1 , Ana Luiza Bierrenbach  2 , Fatima Abreu  1 , Pedro Losco Takecian  3 , João Eduardo Ferreira  3 , Ester Cerdeira Sabino  1
Affiliations

Accuracy of a probabilistic record-linkage methodology used to track blood donors in the Mortality Information System database

Ligia Capuani et al. Cad Saude Publica. 2014 Aug.

Abstract

The probabilistic record linkage (PRL) is based on a likelihood score that measures the degree of similarity of several matching variables. Screening test results for different diseases are available for the blood donor population. In this paper, we describe the accuracy of a PRL process used to track blood donors from the Fundação Pró-Sangue (FPS) in the Mortality Information System (SIM), in order that future studies might determine the blood donor's cause of death. The databases used for linkage were SIM and the database made up of individuals that were living (200 blood donors in 2007) and dead (196 from the Hospital das Clinicas de São Paulo that died in 2001-2005). The method consists of cleaning and linking the databases using three blocking steps comparing the variables "Name/Mother's Name/ Date of Birth" to determine a cut-off score. For a cut-off score of 7.06, the sensitivity and specificity of the method is 94.4% (95%CI: 90.0-97.0) and 100% (95%CI: 98.0-100.0), respectively. This method can be used in studies that aim to track blood donors from the FPS database in SIM.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cleaning description of the reference and comparison files used on the linkage process. FPS: Fundação Pró-Sangue Hemocentro de São Paulo; HC-FMUSP: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo; SIM: Mortality Information System.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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