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Medical Record Linkage

Medical Record Linkage

Medical Record Linkage is an exciting new project which will enable TEDS to link your TEDS research data to your electronic NHS health records. This page provides more information about these plans, including an up-to-date copy of our information leaflet, an animated version of the leaflet, and some medical record linkage FAQs. 

TEDS Medical Record Linkage Information Leaflet

Frequently Asked Questions

What is data linkage?

TEDS would like to access information about your health by linking to your official NHS records. Data linkage is the process of linking information in your electronic health records to your questionnaire data held by TEDS.

Data linkage provides information that it is difficult to collect with questionnaire data. For example, the precise type of medication you may have been given in the past.

How does data linkage work?

For more information about how data linkage in TEDS works, please read our information leaflet (above) or watch our animation video. 

What to do I do if I change my mind about being included in medical record linkage?

Taking part in every aspect of TEDS is completely voluntary. If you change your mind about taking part in medical record linkage, please let us know by emailing teds-project@kcl.ac.uk or calling on 0800 317029.

My twin does not live at home, and I am unable to pass this information on. What should I do?

Please contact us or return the information so that we are aware that it has not reached the intended recipient.

My twins do not live at home, but I know that they would not be willing for you to access their medical records. Can I opt out on their behalf?

If a twin wishes to opt out of TEDS plans for medical record linkage, they much contact us themselves.

I live overseas. Why does TEDS still want to access my NHS medical records?

You have been included in this mailing because any NHS records that exist from before you moved abroad would still be very useful for our research. Even if you moved when you were very young!

What is TEDS data policy?

For more information on our Data Access Policy please see this page of our website.

Who can I contact for further information?

For more information about how we keep your data safe, please visit the following pages:

  • King’s College London Use of Personal Data in Research policy.
  • The South London and Maudsley GDPR policy.
  • The NHS Patient information and health care in research.

What is a trusted research environment?

Trusted research environments (TREs) are highly secure digital environments where linked data can be processed, stored and analysed. All TEDS using medical records will take place within the TREs and no data can leave these digital locations, which work a bit like a secure reading library. The NHS has requested for TREs to be used as the default for research as this will bring meaningful public safeguards around data use.

More information can be found on TREs on the Health Data Research UK website.

What is the UK LLC?

The UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (https://ukllc.ac.uk/about/) is a national collaboration  which combines data from national cohort studies in a trusted research environment where information from studies taking part can be used to in research.