What is the purpose of de-identification in health research?

• A. To remove identifying information from data to protect privacy while allowing data to be used for research.
• B. To increase data anonymity by removing all potential identifiers from data.
• C. To improve data storage efficiency.
• D. To comply with financial reporting requirements.

Answer: (A)

De-identification in health research aims to protect privacy by removing or masking information that could identify an individual, while keeping enough data intact for meaningful analysis. This balance lets researchers study health patterns and outcomes without exposing patients’ identities. Direct identifiers like names and contact details are removed, and other details such as dates or locations may be altered or generalized to reduce the risk someone could be re-identified. Regulatory approaches—such as systematically removing a defined set of identifiers or having a qualified expert assess re-identification risk—guide how this is done in practice. The goal is privacy protection with usable data, not storage efficiency or financial reporting, and it acknowledges that some residual risk may remain rather than claiming absolute anonymity.