Vital-signs de-identification is the removal of patient IDs from an obs chart. It meets HIPAA Safe Harbor (45 CFR §164.514(b)). anonym.plus works locally and keeps the temperature, pulse, blood-pressure, and oxygen series whole.
When this applies
Obs charts feed early-warning-score work and teaching. The numbers are the value; the name, MRN, and dates are the risk. The tool keeps one and clears the other.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Load the chart into anonym.plus on your device.
- It finds header IDs: name, MRN, and dates.
- The reading grid and trend lines stay in place.
- Swap IDs and shift the times to keep the gaps.
- Save the clean chart on your device.
What you need to provide
- The obs chart (PDF, image, or EHR export).
- A date-shift option to keep reading gaps.
- An operator (Replace works well).
PHI entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | header name → [PATIENT] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | MRN → [MRN] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | obs times → shifted [TIME] |
| Location | LOCATION | Ward/Bed → [LOCATION] |
| Names | PERSON | recorded-by → [STAFF] |
| Identifiers | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | barcode → [ID] |
Compliance achieved
- Supports HIPAA Safe Harbor (45 CFR §164.514(b)) for obs data.
- Keeps the reading series for early-warning-score work.
- Local OCR reads scanned paper; nothing is uploaded.
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Limitations & cautions
Scanned paper charts lean on OCR. Faint writing can cause errors, so check the header the tool found before you export. The numbers stay word for word and are not treated as IDs.
Frequently asked questions
Are the readings ever removed?
No. The numbers stay. Only the header IDs and times change, so the series is still fully usable.
Can scanned paper charts be cleaned?
Yes. Local OCR reads them, so IDs printed or written on paper are caught.
How are the obs times handled?
Times shift by one steady offset, so the gaps between readings stay while the real times hide.