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Funding for Health Data Linkage projects

Background information

The Centre for Health Record Linkage, hosted by the Cancer Institute NSW, is a collaborative venture funded by eight member organisations (ACT Health, the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission, the Cancer Institute NSW, NSW Department of Health, the Sax Institute, the University of Newcastle, the University of NSW and the University of Sydney).

The University’s annual membership to this collaborative venture has been met by contributions of various amounts from the University’s Cancer Research Fund (through the University of Sydney Cancer Research Network), and the Faculties of Medicine, Health Sciences, Nursing and Midwifery, Pharmacy and Dentistry.

The University of Sydney receives back a proportion of its membership fee in free services.

Guide to health record linkage services

For more detailed information regarding CHeReL and information relating to its use, please refer to the CHeReL website for their latest version of the Guide to CHeReL services.

For information about the linked datasets available and the types of linkage services offered by CHeReL please refer to the CHeReL website.

CHeReL services available to the University of Sydney

CHeReL services to the value of $60,000 will be available to University of Sydney researchers in 2006/07, $80,000 in 2007/08 and $100,000 in 2008/09.

Policies for allocating these free services to researchers have been developed by the University of Sydney Health Data Linkage committee, a cross-faculty subcommittee of the Health Research Strategy Committee.

Investigators seeking access to the University of Sydney free services will be expected to themselves contribute to the cost of the services they require using research funds from other sources.

For further details regarding eligibility criteria, selection criteria and process, and project applications please download Information for Applicants and the Project Application Form.

Step-by-step guide for researchers

The Centre for Health Record Linkage Data Linkage Service FLOWCHART AND CHECKLIST

This document provides information about when to make initial contact with CHeReL, when to request a quotation from CHeReL for the provision of the data linkage services you require, when to apply to the NSW Population & Health Service Research Ethics Committee (and your host institution) for ethics approval for your project. It also provides an estimate of the time required to complete the application process and obtain ethics approval.

You can apply to The University of Sydney for Health Data Linkage project funding once you have obtained a quotation from CHeReL.

Downloads

As noted in the 'Information for applicants' a quotation (issued by the CHeReL) must accompany all applications for project funding. Researchers should contact the CHeReL directly to request a quotation for their proposed project. The CHeReL process a number of requests for quotations at any one time so researchers are advised to contact the CHeReL to discuss the feasibility of their projects at least 3-6 weeks prior to needing a quotation.

Contacting the Centre for Health Record Linkage

Level 1, Suite 9, Bay 9, Locomotive Street
Australian Technology Park, EVELEIGH NSW 2015
Tel: + 61 2 8374 3515
Fax: + 61 2 8374 3500



Mailing address
Centre for Health Record Linkage
Cancer Institute NSW
PO Box 41, ALEXANDRIA NSW 1435
Australia

The current funding round

If you are interested in applying for access to University of Sydney free services, a funding round is now open.

Please note: Applicants are not required to submit proof of ethics approval from their host institution to the Health Data Linkage committee when applying to use University of Sydney free services in this funding round. However, researchers will be required to forward evidence of ethics approval when it is obtained.

2008 funding rounds

Closing dates for applications. Applications should be received by 5pm on:

Friday 30 November 2008

Outcomes of previous funding rounds

Health Data Linkage applications that were successful in previous funding rounds:

Round 5 – 29 August 2008

  • Pap test screening rates, high grade cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer among women with a substance use hospital admission in NSW
    A Kricker and L Burns

Round 3 – 29 February 2008

  • Incidence and prognosis of metastatic breast cancer in NSW
    SJ Lord and N Houssami
  • Cervical cancer screening behaviour in women born in Asian and Middle Eastern countries compared to Australian-born women: A linkage study in NSW
    K Canfell, B Armstrong, N Aminisani and F Sitas

Round 2 – 1 December 2007

  • Studies on endometriosis and the subsequent risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
    GM Hadfield, CL Roberts, SJ Lain and CH Raynes-Greenow
  • The health and health seeking behaviours of opiate dependent people in NSW 2002-2006
    G Rubin, J Bell, L Trinh and A Ryan

Round 1 - 31 October 2007

  • An examination of the quality and validity of mothers and babies coded data found in administrative datasets - through linking NSW Inpatient Statistics Collection (ISC) with Midwives Data Collection (MDC) and Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM)
    M Lam
  • Improving birth statistics in Australia through use of record linkage
    R Madden and H Mannan
  • A pilot study investigating the ability of maternal levels of Angiopoietin 2(Ang-2) in early pregnancy to predict adverse outcomes
    CL Roberts, V Tasevski, JM Morris, LK Taylor
  • The serious and continuing illness policy and practice study
    S Leeder, R Colagiuri, J Gillespie and S Jan
  • An analysis of the usefulness of the linked Central Cancer Registry - Admitted Patient Data Collection for examining patterns of care of people with prostate, lung and colorectal cancers
    BK Armstrong, DP Smith and DL O'Connell
  • Determining aged care trajectories in NSW: linking the 45 and up survey and aged care administrative data - pilot utilising hospital data
    HK Kendig, LJ Jorm and JB Byles
  • Temporal trends in the epidemiology of infective endocarditis in Australia
    R Sy and L Kritharides

Online Resources - Recent Health Data Linkage seminars

About CHeReL: An overview of the databases that are currently approved to have records in the Master Linkage Key at CHeReL and access to linkage services
Ms Katie Irvine
Manager, Centre for Health Record Linkage

How to access the University of Sydney’s linkage service credits
Prof Bruce Armstrong
Director of Research, Sydney Cancer Centre & Professor of Public Health and Medical Foundation Fellow, The University of Sydney

Examples of research projects that use health record linkage
Dr Christine Roberts
Research Director, Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research
Dr Jane Ford
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, School of Public Health, Kolling Institute of Medical Research

Examples of research projects that use health record linkage
A/Prof Philip Clarke
A/Prof (Research) Health Economics, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney

Upcoming seminars

University of Sydney Health Record Linkage Workshop
Developing Research Grant Ideas and Research Grant Writing Tips
Date: Thursday 18 September 2008
Time: 3.30pm – 5.00pm
Venue: Norman Gregg Lecture Theatre, Edward Ford Building (A27), corner Fisher and Physics Roads, The University of Sydney
Speakers: Ms Coralie Le Nevez, Acting Manager, Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL) and Professor Louisa Jorm, Foundation Professor of Population Health, UWS; Research Director, The Sax Institute; Chair, Expert Advisory Group for the National Collaborative Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) capability ‘Population health and clinical data linkage’; Member, CHeReL Management Committee.
Cost: FREE, coffee and tea will be available on arrival from 3.15pm
More information: Download the Program and a step-by-step guide for researchers outlining the CHeReL Data Linkage Service Flowchart and Checklist.

Data linkage research seminar
From health research to social research: Privacy, methods, approaches
Date: Tuesday 30 Sept 2008
Time: 3.00 – 4.00pm
Venue: R1 Lecture Theatre, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Randwick Campus, 22-32 King St Randwick, University of New South Wales
Speaker: Professor Leslie Roos from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy,
University of Manitoba, Canada
Registration: Places are limited, so please contact Deborah Randall on 02 9385 0318 or at d.randall@unsw.edu.au, no later than 23 September 2008, to register.
More information: Download the seminar flyer

Further information

For further information regarding access to University of Sydney free services, please contact the in the Cancer Research Network office on (02) 9036 6309.