BACKGROUND The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD is an extremely influential U.K. primary care dataset for epidemiological research having a number of published papers based on its data much bigger than any other U.K. primary care dataset. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) death data for England can be linked to GOLD at the patient level and are considered the gold standard on mortality. GOLD, which also holds death data, has been recently assessed against ONS linked dataset and the accuracy of its dates of death has been deemed sufficient for the majority of observational studies. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to manage the challenges existing when ONS mortality and GOLD datasets are linked, including linkage coverage period, linkage correctness likelihood, linkage regional limitations and data discrepancy. OBJECTIVES Provide reconciling guidelines on how to make maximum and at the same time trustworthy use of mortality information coming from both GOLD and ONS linked datasets with the aim of improving the quality, reproducibility, transparency and comparison of clinical research. METHOD AND RESULTS We have developed recommendations on how to manage mortality data coming from both GOLD and linked ONS, taking into account linkage coverage period, linkage correctness likelihood, linkage regional limitations and data discrepancies between these two datasets. We have also implemented these guidelines in an SQL algorithm for researchers to use. CONCLUSION We have provided detailed guidelines on the reconciliation of mortality data between GOLD and ONS linked death datasets, taking into account both their strengths and limitations. The consistent application of these guidelines made practical by an SQL algorithm, has the potential to improve clinical research quality, reproducibility, transparency and comparison.

中文翻译：

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CPRD GOLD和相关的ONS死亡率记录：协调指南。

背景技术临床实践研究数据链（CPRD）GOLD是一种用于流行病学研究的极具影响力的英国基层医疗数据集，基于其数据，已发表了大量论文，其数据远大于其他任何英国基层医疗数据集。英格兰国家统计局（ONS）的死亡数据可以与患者水平的GOLD关联，并被视为死​​亡率的黄金标准。最近还根据ONS链接数据集对还拥有死亡数据的GOLD进行了评估，并且其死亡日期的准确性已被认为足以进行大多数观察研究。但是，在将ONS死亡率和GOLD数据集链接在一起时，缺乏如何处理挑战的指南，包括链接覆盖期，链接正确性可能性，链接区域限制和数据差异。目的提供关于如何最大程度地并同时可靠地使用来自GOLD和ONS链接数据集的死亡率信息的协调指南，以提高临床研究的质量，可重复性，透明度和比较性。方法和结果我们考虑了连锁覆盖时间，连锁正确性可能性，连锁区域局限性和这两个数据集之间的数据差异，提出了有关如何管理来自GOLD和连锁ONS的死亡率数据的建议。我们还在SQL算法中实现了这些准则，供研究人员使用。结论我们考虑到GOLD和ONS关联的死亡数据集的优势和局限性，提供了关于死亡率数据核对的详细指南。