Longitudinal Record Linkage in Sub-Saharan Africa Countries: Recommendations for Healthcare Research

Innocent Mboya, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College
Stanley Teleka, Lund University
Sophia Kagoye, National Institute for Medical Research
Neema Mosha, National Institute for Medical Research
Wende Safari, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

The use of unique national personal identification numbers (PIN) for linkage of medical records across health facilities and population-based studies is limited in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We aimed to provide recommendations for improved linkage of health services data in SSA for healthcare research. We recommend transitioning from paper-based healthcare data collection and storage systems, at health facility and population levels, to the use of electronic computer-assisted systems and a focus on improved data quality. SSA countries implementing this transition will benefit from additional technical and financial support. At the health-facility level, change from collecting aggregated to individual-level data. The use of PIN across multiple data sources is paramount, in addition to clear and transparent legal and ethical data protection and sharing guidelines, centralized data linkage by the governments, and partnerships with the private sector. SSA countries should prioritize establishing a robust foundation for high-quality data collection and future linkage.