Table 1. Source datasets.
| Dataset | Dataset description | Key variables | Custodian | Data linkage unit | Availability | Quality |
| Screening cohort | Patients tested for AE antibodies 2008–2019. | Date, specimen type and test result. | Laboratory | N/A | N/A | High |
| Reference cohort | Patients meeting consensus diagnostic criteria for definite or probable AE. | Clinical presentation (seizures, psychosis, memory impairment), immunotherapy. | Hospital | N/A | N/A | High |
| Hospital | Separations from all public and most private hospitals. | Dates, diagnostic and procedure codes, intensive care and assisted ventilation hours. | State or territory | Jurisdictional | Variable | Generally good48 49 |
| Emergency | Presentations to emergency departments at public hospitals. | Dates of presentations and diagnostic codes. | State or territory | Jurisdictional | Variable | Generally fair50 51 |
| MCD | Medicare is Australia’s universal health insurance provider. The dataset stores personal details for registered individuals. | Year of birth, sex, geographical location. | Commonwealth | AIHW | 2008–2021 | High |
| PBS | Claims for prescription medicines with a government benefit. | Anticonvulsants, immunotherapy, cancer therapy, comorbidities. | Commonwealth | AIHW | 2003–2021 | High |
| MBS | Health service claims that qualify for a government benefit. | Cancer treatment, neurological investigations. | Commonwealth | AIHW | 1984–2021 | High |
| DS NMDS | Disability services utilisation and client assessments. | Functional performance, carer data, employment, income. | Commonwealth | AIHW | 2003–2019 | Variable52 53 |
| ACD | Registry of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia. | Date and type of cancer diagnosis. | State or territory | AIHW | 1982–2021 | High54 |
| AEDC | Reports early childhood development. | Scores in all domains (physical, social, emotional, language/cognitive, communication). | Commonwealth | AIFS | 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 | High55 |
| NAPLAN | Reports academic performance. | Scores in all domains (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy). | State or territory | AIFS | 2003–2021 | High56 |
| NDI | Coded data of all deaths in Australia. | Date and cause of death. | State or territory | AIHW | 2008–2021 | Good57 |
ACDAustralian Cancer DatabaseAEautoimmune encephalitidesAEDCAustralian Early Development CensusAIHWAustralian Institute of Health and WelfareDS NMDSDisability Services National Minimum Data SetMBSMedicare Benefits ScheduleMCDMedicare Consumer DirectoryNAPLANNational Assessment Program – Literacy and NumeracyNDINational Death IndexPBSPharmaceutical Benefits Scheme