Privacy & Security
What is de-identification?
De-identification is the process of removing personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) from research transcripts so that participants cannot be identified from the data.
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, data is considered de-identified when all 18 Safe Harbor identifiers have been removed, or when an expert determines the risk of re-identification is very small.
For research transcripts, de-identification involves:
- Removing names and initials
- Redacting geographic identifiers (cities, streets, institutions)
- Obscuring dates directly related to an individual
- Stripping phone numbers, email addresses, SSNs, and medical record numbers
- Replacing identifying details with consistent pseudonyms ([Participant 1], [City A])
- Removing any unique characteristics that could lead to identification
The goal is a transcript that preserves the meaning and structure of the original conversation -- ready for qualitative analysis in NVivo, Atlas.ti, or Dedoose -- while ensuring participant privacy.
Get Started with De-Identification
De-identification is included free with every transcription project. Create your free account to get started.
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