What does de-identified data refer to in healthcare?

De-identified data in healthcare refers to health information that has been stripped of all direct or indirect identifiers that could lead to the identification of an individual. This includes both personal information like names, addresses, and phone numbers, as well as any unique identifiers that could be used to link the data back to an individual. The purpose of de-identification is to protect patient privacy while allowing for the use of the data in research, policy development, and analysis without any risk of compromising individual confidentiality.

In contrast, data that includes partial identifiers or patient records that are kept secure retain identifiable information, which does not meet the definition of de-identification. Similarly, information that requires patient consent for sharing relates to identifiable data that cannot be shared without explicit permission, indicating that the data is not de-identified. Thus, the emphasis on a complete absence of identifiers makes the correct choice about de-identified data unequivocal.