De-identifying a counseling file is the removal of PHI from a counselor's notes. The HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 164) governs that data. anonym.plus does the work on your own device, fully offline.
When this applies
A supervisor wants to review casework without seeing who the clients are. Names of clients and their relatives must be hidden first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the file in anonym.plus on your computer.
- Local OCR captures any scanned handwriting or print.
- It flags client and relative names, dates, and contacts.
- Review each match and keep clinical content.
- Replace each value with a label, or redact it.
- Save the result. The first copy stays on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The file (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional: a key map for re-linking.
PHI entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Client name | PERSON | Tara Nguyen → [CLIENT_1] |
| Relative | PERSON | son Eli → [FAMILY_1] |
| Visit date | DATE_TIME | Session 05/06/2026 → [DATE] |
| EMAIL_ADDRESS | tara.n@mail.com → [EMAIL] | |
| Phone | PHONE_NUMBER | (206) 555 0162 → [PHONE] |
| Record ID | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | ID 90217 → [MRN] |
Compliance achieved
- Strips PHI for the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 164).
- Local only, so the tool itself needs no BAA.
- Files are protected with AES-256-GCM.
- Also fits GDPR Art. 9 for EU clients.
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Limitations & cautions
The Privacy Rule still asks you to limit data to the minimum needed. The tool hides named identifiers. You decide who gets the clean file and check that no stray hint remains.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Privacy Rule allow this sharing?
Once data is de-identified to the rule's standard, it is no longer PHI. You may then share it for supervision or study without further patient authorization.
Are relatives' names removed?
Yes. A named child, parent, or partner is an identifier. The tool flags each so the client cannot be traced through family.
Does it run in the cloud?
No. The app works on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.