Privacert, Inc. provides a Privacert Appliance, which allows an organization to share person-level data that maintains as much detail in the data as possible while still making sure the information is sufficiently de-identified under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Below is an example using a problem list from data drawn from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Original data sample from a problem list	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 05/20/1965 M 02141 short of breath black 08/31/1965 M 02141 chest pain black 10/28/1965 F 02138 painful eye black 09/30/1965 F 02138 wheezing black 07/07/1964 F 02138 obesity black 11/05/1964 F 02138 chest pain white 11/28/1964 M 02138 short of breath white 07/22/1965 F 02139 hypertension white 08/24/1964 M 02139 obesity white 05/30/1964 M 02139 fever white 02/16/1967 M 02138 vomiting white 10/10/1967 M 02138 back pain
HIPAA Safe Harbor This is the de-identified version of the data prescribed by regulation. ZIP is horribly distorted.	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 1965 M 021** short of breath black 1965 M 021** chest pain black 1965 F 021** painful eye black 1965 F 021** wheezing black 1964 F 021** obesity black 1964 F 021** chest pain white 1964 M 021** short of breath white 1965 F 021** hypertension white 1964 M 021** obesity white 1964 M 021** fever white 1967 M 021** vomiting white 1967 M 021** back pain
Privacert Appliance provides best results! Note: these results are particular to these data values and geography. Results for other datasets and other geographical locations vary.	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 1965 M 02141 short of breath black 1965 M 02141 chest pain black 1965 F 02138 painful eye black 1965 F 02138 wheezing black 1964 F 02138 obesity black 1964 F 02138 chest pain white 1964 M 02138 short of breath white 1965 F 02139 hypertension white 1964 M 02139 obesity white 1964 M 02139 fever white 1967 M 02138 vomiting white 1967 M 02138 back pain
Datafly 1st option preserving 5-digit ZIP	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 1965 M 02141 short of breath black 1965 M 02141 chest pain black 1965 F 02138 painful eye black 1965 F 02138 wheezing black 1964 F 02138 obesity black 1964 F 02138 chest pain white 196* * 021** short of breath white 196* * 021** hypertension white 1964 M 02139 obesity white 1964 M 02139 fever white 1967 M 02138 vomiting white 1967 M 02138 back pain
Datafly 2nd option preserving 5-digit ZIP	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 196* M 02141 short of breath black 196* M 02141 chest pain black 196* F 02138 painful eye black 196* F 02138 wheezing black 196* F 02138 obesity black 196* F 02138 chest pain white 196* M 02138 short of breath white 196* * 02139 hypertension white 196* * 02139 obesity white 196* * 02139 fever white 196* M 02138 vomiting white 196* M 02138 back pain
Datafly option preserving Date of Birth (DOB)	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 1965 M 021** short of breath black 1965 M 021** chest pain black 1965 F 021** painful eye black 1965 F 021** wheezing black 1964 F 021** obesity black 1964 F 021** chest pain white 1964 M 021** short of breath white 1965 F 021** hypertension white 1964 M 021** obesity white 1964 M 021** fever white 1967 M 021** vomiting white 1967 M 021** back pain
Datafly option preserving Race	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 1965 M 02141 short of breath black 1965 M 02141 chest pain black 1965 F 02138 painful eye black 1965 F 02138 wheezing black 1964 F 02138 obesity black 1964 F 02138 chest pain white 196* * 021** short of breath white 196* * 021** hypertension white 1964 M 02139 obesity white 1964 M 02139 fever white 1967 M 02138 vomiting white 1967 M 02138 back pain
Datafly option preserving Sex	Race DOB Sex ZIP Problem ----- ---------- --- ----- --------------- black 1965 M 021** short of breath black 1965 M 021** chest pain black 1965 F 021** painful eye black 1965 F 021** wheezing black 1964 F 021** obesity black 1964 F 021** chest pain white 1964 M 021** short of breath white 1965 F 021** hypertension white 1964 M 021** obesity white 1964 M 021** fever white 1967 M 021** vomiting white 1967 M 021** back pain

Above is a comparison of results . Each row appears in the same order as the original. [For anonymity purposes, Datafly would normally change the order of appearance of the rows in the table, but for demonstration purposes, the row positions are maintained above.]

The Privacert Appliance results are compliant with HIPAA! No distortion was necessary for this dataset and geography. This is possible scientifically by a concept known as conservation of anonymity, as developed by Dr. Sweeney at Carnegie Mellon University. The Privacert Appliance is pre-configured to compute the same amount of overall anonymity provided by the HIPAA safe harbor provision while preserving more detail in useful fields. As a result, more useful details remain in this dataset than typically possible with the HIPAA Safe Harbor provision. While the results shown are particular to the given dataset and geography, and results for other datasets and other geographical locations vary, typically the Privacert Applicance provides the most detailed possible while remaining compliant with HIPAA.

The Datafly options also allows more information to remain than was found with the HIPAA Safe Harbor, but not as much detail as possible with a Privacert Appliance. The Datafly System uses k-anonymity, also developed by Dr. Sweeney at Carnegie Mellon University, as the scientific basis of its protection model.

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