What term describes the process of identifying records across different sources that refer to the same entity?

The term that describes the process of identifying records across different sources that refer to the same entity is record linkage. This process involves analyzing and comparing data from multiple sources to ascertain whether the records represent the same individual, event, or instance. It is a crucial task in fields like health informatics, where various databases may contain overlapping or related information about patients or cases.

Record linkage utilizes various algorithms and techniques to evaluate similarities in data attributes, such as names, dates, and other identifiers, to confirm matches, ensuring data integrity and accuracy in registries or databases. This is particularly important for tumor registrars who need to compile comprehensive patient information from different health systems, ensuring that each entity is clearly defined and accurately represented in the data set.

Understanding record linkage is essential for maintaining reliable and accurate cancer data, as it supports the linkage of information from multiple diagnostic encounters, treatment records, and follow-up assessments into a singular view of a patient's journey with a disease. This is instrumental for research, analysis, and improving patient outcomes.