To the Editor: A recent editorial in the Journal1 is another in a long line of articles arguing that national linkage of routine care-delivery data will enable us to improve the health care provided to Australian patients.2 However, over the past three decades, progress on national data linkage has been painfully slow. Anyone who has ventured down the path of obtaining national linked data can attest to the fact that it is a frustrating and capricious process.
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- 1. Katelaris A. The need for data beyond primary diagnosis [editor’s choice]. Med J Aust 2012; 196: 663.
- 2. Stanley FJ, Meslin EM. Australia needs a better system for health care evaluation. Med J Aust 2007; 186: 220-221.
- 3. Powell J. The new Machiavelli: how to wield power in the modern world. London: Bodley Head, 2010.
- 4. Holman CD. An end to suppressing public health information. Med J Aust 2008; 188: 435-436.
- 5. Australian Law Reform Commission. For your information: Australian privacy law and practice (ALRC report 108). www.alrc.gov.au/publications/report-108 (accessed Jul 2012).
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