To the Editor: The editorial by Olver1 is a reminder of the usefulness of linking health datasets for research and evaluation. While data linkage is not a foreign concept to many health services researchers, such work with regard to Australian primary care is very limited. The recent review of Medicare Locals noted that the few linkages created “only occur in pockets and are often constrained by administrative, collaborative and/or legislative factors”.2 The public interest is not served by these barriers.
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- 1. Olver IN. Linking data to improve health outcomes [editorial]. Med J Aust 2014; 200: 368-369. <MJA full text>
- 2. Horvath J. Review of Medicare Locals. Canberra: Department of Health, 2014. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/A69978FAABB1225ECA257CD3001810B7/$File/Review-of-Medicare-Locals-may-2014.pdf (accessed May 2014).
- 3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Review and evaluation of Australian information about primary health care: a focus on general practice. Canberra: AIHW, 2008. (AIHW Cat. No. HWI 103.) http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442458110 (accessed May 2011).
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The Melbourne East Monash General Practice Database (MAGNET) research platform is a collaboration between Inner East Melbourne Medicare Local and Monash University. Danielle Mazza is Scientific Director of MAGNET, Christopher Pearce is Deputy Director and Lyle Turner is the biostatistician.