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System and method for generating de-identified health care data

  • US 6,732,113 B1
  • Filed: 09/20/2000
  • Issued: 05/04/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A system for creating a unique alias associated with an individual identified in a health care database, comprising:

  • (a) a plurality of first data stores at different locations from one another, each first data store for storing a plurality of records, each record including a plurality of identification fields which when taken together uniquely identify an individual, and at least one health care field corresponding to health care data associated with the individual;

    (b) means, associated with each first data store, for creating a file having a plurality of records selected from the first data store; and

    (c) a plurality of processors, each processor associated with one of the first data stores for performing the steps of;

    (i) selecting a record of the file;

    (ii) selecting a subset of the plurality of identification fields within the selected record;

    (iii) concatenating the selected subset of identification fields;

    (iv) encrypting the concatenated identification fields to define a unique alias;

    (v) replacing, with the unique alias, fields of the file that uniquely identify an individual, and deleting any remaining fields of the file that uniquely identify an individual;

    (vi) repeating steps (i)-(v) for all records of the file; and

    (vii) following steps (i)-(vi), transmitting the file to a second data store at a location remote from that of the first data store and its associated processor via a secure data communications network.

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