Mental Health Records De-Identification Checklist

Patient Name Geographic subdivisions smaller than state All elements of dates (except year) directly related to an individual Phone numbers Fax numbers Email addresses Social Security Numbers Medical record numbers Health plan beneficiary numbers Account numbers Certificate/license numbers Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers Device identifiers and serial numbers Web URLs IP addresses Biometric identifiers (fingerprints, voice prints) Full-face photographic images Any other unique identifying number or code

Review notes for indirect identifiers (e.g., rare diagnoses, occupations) Remove or generalize explicit references to relationships (e.g., spouse, children) Check for unique circumstances that can lead to re-identification

Limit data shared to only what is necessary Aggregate data or use categories where possible (e.g., age ranges instead of exact age)

Secondary review for residual identifiers Log date and staff involved in de-identification