[The risk of re-identification when analyzing electronic health records: a critical appraisal and possible solutions].

DISCUSSION: Routine health data are, in principle, sensitive data. Knowledge about the variables in primary care data gathered from electronic health records in local practices and the evaluation of this data allow us to more accurately estimate the risk of re-identification for the persons concerned. In particular, chronic diagnoses and/or diagnoses in long text, calendar dates for patient contacts and therapies bear a high risk of re-identification. Technical measures such as removing data, masking values and coding should make re-identification considerably more difficult. There will always be a remaining risk of re-identification which should be openly discussed to counteract concerns about a lack of data protection or a sweeping critique of digitization in healthcare. PMID: 32165110 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Zeitschrift fur Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualitat im Gesundheitswesen - Category: Health Management Tags: Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes Source Type: research