Project on Matching Census 1986 Database and Manitoba Health Care Files

Introduction: In the current economic context, all partners in health care delivery systems, be they public or private, are obliged to identify the factors that influence the utilization of health care services. To improve our understanding of the phenomena that underlie these relationships, Statistics Canada and the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation have just set up a new database. For a representative sample of the population of the province of Manitoba, cross-sectional microdata on individuals=ED health and socio-economic characteristics were linked with detailed longitudinal data on utilization of health care services. Data and methods: The 1986-87 Health and Activity Limitation Survey, the 1986 Census and the files of Manitoba Health were matched (without using names or addresses) by means of the CANLINK software. In the pilot project, 20,000 units were selected from the Census according to modern sampling techniques. Before the files were matched, consultations were held and an agreement was signed by all parties in order to establish a framework for protecting privacy and preserving the confidentiality of the data. Results: A matching rate of 74% was obtained for private households. A quality evaluation based on the comparisons of names and addresses over a small subsample established that the overall concordance rate among matched pairs was 95.5%. The match rates and concordance rates varied according to age and household composition. Estimates produced from the sample accurately reflected the socio-demographic profile, mortality, hospitalization rate, health care costs and consumption of health care by Manitoba residents. Discussion: The matching rate of 74% was satisfactory in comparison with the response rates reported in most population surveys. Because of the excellent concordance rate and the accuracy of the estimates obtained from the sample, this database will provide an adequate basis for studying the association between socio-demographic characteristics, health and health care utilization in province of Manitoba.