Up-to-date and accurate recordings of patient address are important in health services delivery, particularly for screening, immunisation and needs assessment of areas. Patients who change address are at greater risk of having an out-dated address registered with a health professional, which in turn can have a negative impact on their access to services and on the purported health needs of the areas they move to and from. The current study investigated the accuracy and timeliness of updated address information in the Health Card Registration System compared to self-reported addresses in the 2001 Census for members of the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study (c508,000) who changed address during the years 2001-2007. Males, healthy people and owner-occupiers (level-one) and urban and more socially deprived neighbourhoods (level-two) were associated with an increased risk of late updating or non-reporting of address changes in a multi-level analysis. This may be explained by lack of engagement with the health service. Accurate address information could be considered as an indicator for the Quality and Outcomes Framework in the future in an attempt to maintain accurate records. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Migration Census GPS Quality Outcomes Framework Address records

urban area patient information longitudinal study register health insurance human social isolation Self Report sex difference risk assessment health service priority journal health status Aged address Health Card Registration System timeliness health card register neighborhood Adolescent male female medical record health services Article adult migration United Kingdom census accuracy time