Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?

Background: The statistical linkage key (SLK-581) is a common tool for record linkage in Australia, due to its ability to provide some privacy protection. However, newer privacy-preserving approaches may provide greater privacy protection, while allowing high-quality linkage. Objective: To evaluate...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Randall, Sean, Ferrante, Anna, Boyd, James, Brown, Adrian, Semmens, James
Format: Journal Article
Published: Health Information Management Association of Australia 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26642
_version_ 1848752044179980288
author Randall, Sean
Ferrante, Anna
Boyd, James
Brown, Adrian
Semmens, James
author_facet Randall, Sean
Ferrante, Anna
Boyd, James
Brown, Adrian
Semmens, James
author_sort Randall, Sean
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: The statistical linkage key (SLK-581) is a common tool for record linkage in Australia, due to its ability to provide some privacy protection. However, newer privacy-preserving approaches may provide greater privacy protection, while allowing high-quality linkage. Objective: To evaluate the standard SLK-581, encrypted SLK-581 and a newer privacy-preserving approach using Bloom filters, in terms of both privacy and linkage quality. Method: Linkage quality was compared by conducting linkages on Australian health datasets using these three techniques and examining results. Privacy was compared qualitatively in relation to a series of scenarios where privacy breaches may occur. Results: The Bloom filter technique offered greater privacy protection and linkage quality compared to the SLK-based method commonly used in Australia. Conclusion: The adoption of new privacy-preserving methods would allow both greater confidence in research results, while significantly improving privacy protection.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T08:02:21Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-26642
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T08:02:21Z
publishDate 2016
publisher Health Information Management Association of Australia
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-266422017-09-13T15:28:49Z Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581? Randall, Sean Ferrante, Anna Boyd, James Brown, Adrian Semmens, James Background: The statistical linkage key (SLK-581) is a common tool for record linkage in Australia, due to its ability to provide some privacy protection. However, newer privacy-preserving approaches may provide greater privacy protection, while allowing high-quality linkage. Objective: To evaluate the standard SLK-581, encrypted SLK-581 and a newer privacy-preserving approach using Bloom filters, in terms of both privacy and linkage quality. Method: Linkage quality was compared by conducting linkages on Australian health datasets using these three techniques and examining results. Privacy was compared qualitatively in relation to a series of scenarios where privacy breaches may occur. Results: The Bloom filter technique offered greater privacy protection and linkage quality compared to the SLK-based method commonly used in Australia. Conclusion: The adoption of new privacy-preserving methods would allow both greater confidence in research results, while significantly improving privacy protection. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26642 10.1177/1833358316647587 Health Information Management Association of Australia restricted
spellingShingle Randall, Sean
Ferrante, Anna
Boyd, James
Brown, Adrian
Semmens, James
Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
title Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
title_full Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
title_fullStr Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
title_full_unstemmed Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
title_short Limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: Is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
title_sort limited privacy protection and poor sensitivity: is it time to move on from the statistical linkage key-581?
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26642