De-identification and the sharing of big data.

摘要

ONE OF THE newest buzz words in data analytics is "Big Data," and the data created through the healthcare industry is some of the "biggest" around. The widespread implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and the need to share data to measure quality and manage accountable care organizations (ACOs) brings to light all of the privacy issues surrounding sharing patient data. In order to fully leverage Big Data, that data must be shared and combined in a way that preserves its utility for research and performance analytics. The HIPAA privacy rule includes standards for the release and use of protected health information (PHI). The rule allows for the sharing of data if it is de-identified so that the individual patient's identity remains protected.