Option 1: The "Digital DNA" – Understanding the 18 HIPAA Identifiers Focus: Data privacy, healthcare compliance, and security.
Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code.
Below are two article drafts tailored to these interpretations.
To be considered truly "de-identified"—and thus safe for research or public data sets—all 18 of these specific data points must be removed. These include obvious details like names and Social Security numbers, but also less apparent markers: