Assessing the impact of privacy-preserving record linkage on record overlap and patient demographic and clinical characteristics in PCORnet®, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network.

This project was one of the largest linkage efforts of its kind and demonstrates the potential value of record linkage. Linkage between Partners may be most useful in cases where there is geographic proximity between Partners, an expectation that potential linkage Partners will be able to fill gaps in data, or a longer study timeframe.