ATHNreport Spring 2009 - With One Voice
ATHN is working to help clarify many of the confusing terms used when discussing data and specifically health data and healthcare technology. Some confusion exists about the term on-identifiable Limited Data Set, this simple definition helps.
Non-identifiable Limited Data Set:
According to the federal Privacy Rule, a non-identifiable limited data set requires that 16 categories of direct patient identifiers be removed from shared health information. In compliance with the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule, ATHN will not receive any name or any of the other 16 categories of information (see below) that may directly identify a patient or
enable patients to be contacted by ATHN or by anyone else.
When you are asked if ATHN will have access to patient names and other personal information, you can say “NO” with confidence. If a patient agrees to take part, ATHN will receive a non-identifiable limited data set.
NONE of the following information will be included in the ATHNdataset:
- Name
- Postal address, other than town or city and ZIP code
- Telephone numbers
- Fax numbers
- Email addresses
- Social security numbers
- Medical records numbers
- Health plan beneficiary numbers
- Account numbers
- Certificate/license numbers
- Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license numbers
- Device identifiers and serial numbers
- Web universal resource locators (URLs)
- Internet protocol (IP) address numbers
- Biometric identifiers, including fingerprints and voiceprints
- Full-face photographic images and any comparable images
