Building global links: Towards an integrated data infrastructure in Chile

This article discusses the experiences and insights of Dr Emma Gordon, Director at ADR UK, and Bill South, Research Service and Data Access Deputy Director at the Office for National Statistics, during their recent visit to Chile. Their main objective was to share learning from the ADR UK partnership’s approach to data sharing and linkage, to inform Chile’s direction. This visit was conducted in collaboration with Consorcio IDI, a consortium of universities working with civil servants dedicated to building an integrated data infrastructure in Chile, and funded by the British Embassy in Chile.

ADR UK has consistently leveraged international case studies to demonstrate the potential of linking administrative data. New Zealand, for example, has evolved from having no integrated data infrastructure to becoming a leader in linked data research, providing a valuable model for the UK’s own data linkage initiatives. Notably, New Zealand's progress was also partly inspired by the UK’s advancements through the SAIL Databank, showcasing the reciprocal benefits of international knowledge exchange.

When invited to Chile by academics working with the Chilean government, who also visited the ADR UK Conference 2023, Emma and Bill therefore saw an opportunity to share ADR UK’s story with their global counterparts: the achievements, the challenges, and any advice.

The trip

During the week, Emma and Bill met senior officials from Chile’s Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Health to discuss the potential benefits of linked data for Chile’s economic, financial, and healthcare sectors. In workshops with civil servants and academics, they provided guidance on establishing a programme similar to ADR UK, emphasising phased implementation and business case development for funding. Participants also highlighted the importance of legislative support, building on relevant bills already being developed in Chile around the National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas, INE). INE organises the national census of population and housing and produces official demographic statistics for Chile.

The week concluded with a conference where officials and ministers presented the potential value of data linkage. Emma and Bill showcased various case studies illustrating the transformative impact of linked data, while discussions with the INE and National Research and Development Agency (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo) underscored the critical role of these agencies in advancing Chile’s data linkage initiatives.

How Chile and the UK compare

Data availability

Unlike the UK, Chile has national identification numbers, which can facilitate easier data linkage across and within government departments. This is being used innovatively for social development programmes, demonstrating Chile’s stance on using data for operational purposes.

However, there are currently limits around then using this linked data for research. Government data made available to researchers is often released as downloadable open data, promoting transparency but posing barriers to providing detailed, individual-level linked data due to re-identification risks. Additionally, Chile currently lacks comprehensive trusted research environment infrastructure like we have in the UK, which securely provide access to a range of sensitive data for research purposes – Emma and Bill therefore ran a workshop on running a trusted research environment. Many of the week’s discussions centred around how to take the next step and make Chile’s linked datasets available for secure research at scale in the public good.

Academia-government links

Chile boasts a supportive, closely-knit academic and governmental environment for data linkage, with stakeholders possessing complex statistical knowledge. Access to Chilean ministers, during relatively early-stage negotiations in Chile’s data landscape, demonstrated a high level of beneficial engagement. This prompted Emma and Bill to reflect on how ADR UK best aligns to UK government priorities and how engagement on data linkage and research infrastructure may be continuously improved.

Public perceptions of data research

Given Chile's historical context, the government adheres strictly to a cautious public engagement approach on certain social issues. However, this has not yet been applied to data research. Emma and Bill highlighted the importance of public engagement in addressing privacy and data governance concerns, which is essential for maintaining public trust in data linkage initiatives.

Fragmented data coverage

Discussions on health data highlighted shared issues between the UK and Chile in data coverage, particularly involving private sector data. In Chile, the reliance on private healthcare providers makes data collection more fragmented, echoing the UK's challenges around private education data which is not included on administrative datasets such as the National Pupil Database. Both countries could benefit from legislative measures to improve data consistency and accessibility across sectors.

ADR UK in the global context

Reflecting on their formative experience, Emma and Bill recognised that ADR UK could adapt Chilean engagement models—particularly having direct ministerial interactions—to enhance our advocacy efforts. By leveraging Chile’s public trust-building strategies, ADR UK could also strengthen the social contract for administrative data linkage.

Looking ahead, ADR UK plans to deepen our ties with global partners. Collaborating with academics in Oxford, Emma will exchange best practices in health and administrative data linkage with stakeholders in Australia. More than 50 people from across the ADR UK partnership will attend the upcoming International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) conference in Chicago, presenting research talks and hosting workshops. This underscores ADR UK’s commitment to learning from and influencing international data practices.  

“We really hope to keep the conversation going. We've still got a long way to go in the UK: by speaking to other countries about their approaches, we can be inspired, discover new case studies, and consider what we can do better.” - Dr Emma Gordon

ADR UK is dedicated to making the most of international connections to advance data-driven research and evidence-based decision-making worldwide. If you are interested in working with us, please get in touch.