SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE PROTECTION AND DE-IDENTIFICATION OF HEALTH CARE DATA

• US 20080147554A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQVIA, Inc. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quintiles IMS Incorporated (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dublin, Adam, Stevens, Steven E., Kress, Andrew E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,355,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A system for protecting and de-identifying healthcare data includes a storage device for storing the healthcare data and personally identifiable information for a person and a processor in communication with the database. The processor generates an anonymous linking code using a keyed hash function and a second hash function. The anonymous linking code is based at least in part on a portion of the personally identifiable information. The processor further appends the anonymous linking code to the healthcare data for the person.

Claims

1. A system for protecting and de-identifying healthcare data, the system comprising:

a storage device for storing the healthcare data and personally identifiable information for a person; and

a processor in communication with the database, the processor generates an anonymous linking code using a keyed hash function and a second hash function, the anonymous linking code based at least in part on a portion of the personally identifiable information, said processor further appending the anonymous linking code to the healthcare data for the person.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor encrypts the healthcare data and the appended anonymous linking code.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second database receiving and storing the healthcare data with the appended anonymous linking code; and

a second processor in communication with the second database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second processor uses the appended anonymous linking code of the received healthcare data to link the received healthcare data with stored healthcare data with a corresponding appended anonymous linking code.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the healthcare data with the appended anonymous linking code is received from a secure data pathway.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the second processor outputs a report based on the stored healthcare data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the keyed hash function is a keyed SHA-256 hash function.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second hash function is a SHA-256 hash function.

9. A system for protecting and de-identifying healthcare data, the system comprising:

at least one data source capable of generating an anonymous linking code using a keyed hash function and a second hash function, the anonymous linking code based at least in part on a portion of personally identifiable information, the at least one data source capable of transmitting healthcare data with the anonymous linking code appended to the healthcare data; and

a data warehouse capable of receiving the healthcare data with the appended anonymous linking code and storing the healthcare data with the appended anonymous linking code, the data warehouse associating the received healthcare data with stored healthcare data by matching appended anonymous linking codes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one data source encrypts the healthcare data with the anonymous linking code before transmitting.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the data warehouse forms a report based in part on the stored healthcare data.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the keyed hash function is a keyed SHA-256 hash function.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the second hash function is a SHA-256 hash function.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one data source transmits the healthcare data and appended anonymous linking code through a secure data pathway.

15. A method for protecting and de-identifying healthcare data, the method comprising the steps of:

using a keyed hash function to convert a portion of personally identifiable information into a first output;

using a second hash function to convert the first output into an anonymous linking code;

appending the anonymous linking code to the healthcare data; and

removing personally identifiable information from the healthcare data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting the healthcare data with the appended anonymous linking code to a data warehouse.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of encrypting the healthcare data and the appended anonymous linking code before transmitting.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of linking healthcare data with healthcare data from another source and at another time by the appended anonymous linking code.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the keyed hash function is a keyed SHA-256 hash function.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the second hash function is a SHA-256 hash function.

21. A system for protecting and de-identifying healthcare data, the system comprising:

a data retrieval module receiving healthcare data and its associated personally identifiable information;

an extraction and encryption module in communication with the data retrieval module, the extraction and encryption module extracting portions of personally identifiable information for forming an anonymous linking code and encrypting the portions of the personally identifiable information;

a concatenation module in communication with the extraction and encryption module, the concatenation module linking together in a predetermined sequence the portions of the personally identifiable information;

a first hash function module in communication with the concatenation module, the first hash function module inputting the portions of the personally identifiable information into a first hash function that converts the portions of the personally identifiable information into a first output;

a second hash function module in communication with the first hash function module, the second hash function module inputting the first output into a second hash function that converts the first output into an anonymous linking code;

a de-identification module in communication with the second hash function module, the de-identification module appending the anonymous linking code to the healthcare data and substantially removing the personally identifiable information from the healthcare data;

an encryption for transmission module in communication with the de-identification module, the encryption for transmission module encrypting for transmission the healthcare data and the appended anonymous linking code;

a data transmission module in communication with the encryption for transmission module, the data transmission module transmitting the encrypted healthcare data and appended anonymous linking code on a data pathway;

the data pathway in communication with the data transmission module;

a data reception module in communication with the data pathway, the data reception module receiving the encrypted healthcare data and appended anonymous linking code from the data pathway;

a decryption module in communication with the data reception module, the decryption module decrypting the encrypted healthcare data and appended anonymous linking code;

a patient linkage module in communication with the decryption module, the patient linkage module linking healthcare data related to the same person; and

a report creation module in communication with the decryption module, the report creation module outputting a report based on the healthcare data.