Table 1

Identifiers that must be removed to deidentify medical data per HIPAA.

Identifier Type

Names
Geographic subdivisions smaller than a State *
All elements of dates (except year)
All ages over 89 *
Telephone numbers
Fax numbers
Electronic mail addresses
Social security numbers
Medical record numbers
Health plan beneficiary numbers
Account numbers
Certificate/license numbers
Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
Device identifiers and serial numbers
Web Universal Resource Locators (URLs)
Internet Protocol (IP) address numbers
Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
Full face photographic images and any comparable images
Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code

* Additional details are given in the regulation text.

Note that these categories refer only to identifiers that concern an individual, their relatives, employers or household members

Beckwith et al. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2006 6:12   doi:10.1186/1472-6947-6-12