Free DICOM de-identification tools in clinical research: functioning and safety of patient privacy.

Purpose: To compare non-commercial DICOM toolkits for their de-identification ability in removing a patient's personal health information (PHI) from a DICOM header.Materials and Methods: Ten DICOM toolkits were selected for de-identification tests. Tests were performed by using the system's default...

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Published in:European Radiology Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 3685 - 3696
Main Authors: Aryanto, K., Oudkerk, M., Ooijen, P., Aryanto, K Y E, van Ooijen, P M A
Format: pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Dec2015
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2015
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        10.1007/s00330-015-3794-0
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        atl: Free DICOM de-identification tools in clinical research: functioning and safety of patient privacy.
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          Aryanto, K.
          Oudkerk, M.
          Ooijen, P.
          Aryanto, K Y E
          van Ooijen, P M A
        affil: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Medical Imaging - North East Netherlands (CMINEN), Department of Radiology, Hanzeplein 1 9700 RB Groningen The Netherlands
      sug:
        subj:
          Privacy and Confidentiality
          Research, Medical Ethical Issues
          Patient Safety Standards
          Human
      ab: Purpose: To compare non-commercial DICOM toolkits for their de-identification ability in removing a patient's personal health information (PHI) from a DICOM header.Materials and Methods: Ten DICOM toolkits were selected for de-identification tests. Tests were performed by using the system's default de-identification profile and, subsequently, the tools' best adjusted settings. We aimed to eliminate fifty elements considered to contain identifying patient information. The tools were also examined for their respective methods of customization.Results: Only one tool was able to de-identify all required elements with the default setting. Not all of the toolkits provide a customizable de-identification profile. Six tools allowed changes by selecting the provided profiles, giving input through a graphical user interface (GUI) or configuration text file, or providing the appropriate command-line arguments. Using adjusted settings, four of those six toolkits were able to perform full de-identification.Conclusion: Only five tools could properly de-identify the defined DICOM elements, and in four cases, only after careful customization. Therefore, free DICOM toolkits should be used with extreme care to prevent the risk of disclosing PHI, especially when using the default configuration. In case optimal security is required, one of the five toolkits is proposed.Key Points: • Free DICOM toolkits should be carefully used to prevent patient identity disclosure. • Each DICOM tool produces its own specific outcomes from the de-identification process. • In case optimal security is required, using one DICOM toolkit is proposed.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
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        research
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      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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