PHI & Data
De-identification
Also known as: Deidentification
Removing identifiers from health data so it is no longer PHI under HIPAA.
De-identification is the process of removing or obscuring identifiers from health data so that it can no longer reasonably be used to identify an individual. Properly de-identified data is not protected health information (PHI) and falls outside HIPAA's restrictions.
HIPAA recognizes two methods of de-identification: the Safe Harbor method and the Expert Determination method.