Leveraging administrative data to better understand and address child maltreatment: a scoping review of data linkage studies

BackgroundThis scoping review aimed to overview studies that used administrative data linkage in the context of child maltreatment to improve our understanding of the value that data linkage may confer for policy, practice, and research.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ERIC...

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Authors: Soneson, Emma (Author) ; Das, Shruti (Author) ; Burn, Anne-Marie (Author) ; van Melle, Marije (Author) ; Anderson, Joanna K. (Author) ; Fazel, Mina (Author) ; Fonagy, Peter 1952- (Author) ; Ford, Tamsin (Author) ; Gilbert, Ruth (Author) ; Harron, Katie (Author) ; Howarth, Emma (Author) ; Humphrey, Ayla (Author) ; Jones, Peter B. 1960- (Author) ; Moore, Anna (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: Child maltreatment
Year: 2023, Volume: 28, Issue: 1, Pages: 176-195
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Keywords:
Abuse
Administrative data
child maltreatment
data analytics
data linkage
Neglect
Policy
Population health
Public Health
Description
Summary:BackgroundThis scoping review aimed to overview studies that used administrative data linkage in the context of child maltreatment to improve our understanding of the value that data linkage may confer for policy, practice, and research.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ERIC electronic databases in June 2019 and May 2020 for studies that linked two or more datasets (at least one of which was administrative in nature) to study child maltreatment. We report findings with numerical and narrative summary.ResultsWe included 121 studies, mainly from the United States or Australia and published in the past decade. Data came primarily from social services and health sectors, and linkage processes and data quality were often not described in sufficient detail to align with current reporting guidelines. Most studies were descriptive in nature and research questions addressed fell under eight themes: descriptive epidemiology, risk factors, outcomes, intergenerational transmission, predictive modelling, intervention/service evaluation, multi-sector involvement, and methodological considerations/advancements.ConclusionsIncluded studies demonstrated the wide variety of ways in which data linkage can contribute to the public health response to child maltreatment. However, how research using linked data can be translated into effective service development and monitoring, or targeting of interventions, is underexplored in terms of privacy protection, ethics and governance, data quality, and evidence of effectiveness.
ISSN:1552-6119
DOI:10.1177/10775595221079308