Table 2. The stepwise merge algorithm using indirect patient identifiers.
| Step | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matching variables | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Treatment site | = | = | = | = |
| Gender | = | = | = | = |
| Birth year | = | = | = | = |
| Birth month | = | = | = | = |
| Enrollment/admission year | = | = | +/- 1 | |
| Enrollment/admission month | = | |||
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