Victorian Data Linkages

Victorian data linkages

Victorian Data Linkages (VDL) has been established with funding from the Victorian Government Department of Business and Innovation and The Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to develop new data linkage capacity in Victoria. This site describes Department of Health involvement in VDL processes.

VDL is also a state node of the Population Health Research Network (PHRN).

The aims of VDL are to:

• Provide population wide linked data to researchers while adhering to Victorian privacy principles
• Build skills in and promote research using linked data in Victoria
• Create opportunities for Victorian researchers to undertake innovative, world class research using linkable data drawn from existing datasets.

In order to achieve these goals, VDL will:

• Create a Victorian data linkage system focusing broadly on data collections that, when combined, will support research into health and wellbeing
• Ensure the accurate, efficient and secure creation of a linkage map between these datasets
• Facilitate the use of linked datasets by researchers
• Develop protocols and procedures to ensure that the use of data by VDL and release of data to researchers adheres to health privacy principles, and
• Participate in the Population Health Research Network.

Anticipated outcomes from VDL include:

• Increased population health research achievements
• Extension of national data linkage capacity through the Population Health Research Network, and
• Increased knowledge and skill in the research community in using linked data.