Protecting sensitive patient data via query modification

Abstract

It is well understood that a conflict between functionality and confidentiality exists within the context of medical research databases: while patients' rights must be preserved, restricting access to data can reduce the value of the data that is available to the researcher. As such, limiting access so that confidentiality is preserved without reducing functionality more than is necessary should be a key aim of every designer of medical research databases. In this paper we investigate the application of query modification for the protection of sensitive patient data with a view to preserving functionality as much as possible. The work has been conducted within the context of the e-DiaMoND research project. Copyright 2005 ACM.