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Background Disability research data often exist in the form of individual records located within discrete registers that may extend across sensitive political boundaries. Method This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with using linked health and administrative data for disability research, with examples from research projects conducted both in Australia and overseas. Results Linked data offer distinct value in providing a comprehensive profile for a range of health issues, such as morbidity, mortality, assessing health care costs and/or quality of service provision. Conclusions While the use of record linkage in health research is not a novel concept, recent advances in technology and electronic data management plus improved data linkage protocols have markedly increased the feasibility and opportunity for successfully utilising data linkage for the purposes of research, while at the same time protecting the privacy of the individual. An awareness and appropriate management of the associated challenges is required to maximise the outcomes of disability research using linked data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented in which editor discusses the World Health Organization that formally declared COVID-19 infections to be a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Topics include examines the intractable aspects that have been brought into sharper focus deserve repeating and considered inequality and inequity of health and social services for vulnerable groups that are so entrenched that have come to accept them with varying degrees of reluctance.