Reconciliation anonymization is the removal of patient and staff IDs from a med-rec sheet. It meets the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 164). anonym.plus runs locally and keeps the home and inpatient columns that drive the compare.
When this applies
A med-rec sheet names the patient and the reconciling staff. It sets the home list beside the inpatient one. For safety teaching, you clear the IDs only.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the sheet in anonym.plus on your device.
- It finds patient and staff names plus MRN.
- Dates and contacts get flagged across the entry.
- Confirm the flags; the medicines stay as non-IDs.
- Swap them so the compare view still reads clearly.
- Save the clean copy; the source stays on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The sheet (DOCX, PDF, or EHR export).
- An operator (Replace keeps the compare readable).
- Optional staff map for safety-event review.
PHI entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | patient header → [PATIENT] |
| Names | PERSON | reconciler → [STAFF] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | MRN → [MRN] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | admit 14 Mar → [DATE] |
| Location | LOCATION | Bed 12 → [BED] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | GP tel → [PHONE] |
Compliance achieved
- Meets the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 164) for reuse.
- Keeps the home and inpatient columns, which are not patient IDs.
- Offline work keeps the sheet inside your site.
Anonymize reconciliation records offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
These sheets set two columns side by side, so check that both are scanned. The medicines stay and are not treated as IDs. Staff initials in the sign-off line are easy to miss yet name a person, so confirm that column too.
Frequently asked questions
Will the before-and-after view survive?
Yes. The home and inpatient columns stay. Only the IDs around them change, so the compare is still useful for safety teaching.
Are the medicines treated as IDs?
No. Drug names are clinical content, not identifiers, so they stay in both columns.
Can I clean a batch of sheets?
Yes. Point anonym.plus at a folder for steady local work with no upload.