Strategy for Applying Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage for Public Health Action
Linking health data across multiple sources and health systems provides crucial information to predict, prevent, and control health threats, as well as to inform health policy.
Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL), a process of linking de-identified data, has emerged as a promising approach to link data while reducing risks of identification and breach of protected health information.
With the increasing interest and use of PPRL within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and across federal government agencies, there is a need to develop a coordinated strategy to understand lessons, challenges, and opportunities.
AIR is supporting the CDC in developing a coordinated PPRL strategy through (1) increasing internal and external partnerships and establishing common approaches for PPRL implementation and governance; (2) systematically reviewing the application of PPRL to health care data to identify opportunities and challenges, and (3) developing a series of strategy position papers to outline PPRL’s proof of value for public health data and implementation strategies to support expansion at the national and state levels.
