Methods and tools for healthcare data anonymization: a literature review

Abstract

Healthcare is a rapidly evolving field. Such development creates opportunities to provide better quality, evidence-based treatment, however, increasing privacy violations. Anonymization can be applied to share data safely. This paper is a literature review of methods and tools for anonymization that includes 1930 papers, 32 of which were selected for the final evaluation. This article is an updated and extended version of the research conducted by our team in 2020 (Vovk 2021a). We found that despite the variety of methods, there is no single method that fits all cases. Certain methods are more widely used and create a background for advanced and secure methods. Our research shows that anonymization methods are used in tools for simplification and automation. Among challenges related to the use of all anonymization methods, is the proper balance between risk and data utility and highlight that the anonymization process is not limited to only technical measures but interdisciplinary.