On deducibility and anonymisation in medical databases

Abstract

The utilisation of real medical data in research projects is becoming evermore widespread, and a clear duty of care towards such data is mandatory. To this end, anonymisation is essential. It is well understood that a conflict between functionality and confidentiality exists within this context: while patients' confidentiality must be preserved, restricting access can reduce the value of the data that is available to researchers. As such, limiting access so that confidentiality is preserved while still ensuring a high degree of functionality should be a key aim of every designer of medical research databases. In this paper, we outline an approach developed within the e-DiaMoND project that combines anonymisation and query modification to manage this conflict. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.