Note de-identification is the removal of personal identifiers from an asynchronous specialist e-consult. UK GDPR Art. 9 and DPA 2018 govern reuse. anonym.plus runs offline and keeps the clinical opinion that makes the exchange worth sharing.
When this applies
In an e-consult a GP asks a specialist by message and gets advice back. The thread names both clinicians and the person being treated. Strip those to teach.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Bring the exchange into anonym.plus on your device.
- It marks the patient, requester, and specialist names.
- Consult dates, contacts, and identifiers get flagged too.
- Swap each one for a clear role label.
- Save the clean exchange on your device.
What you need to provide
- The exchange (DOCX, PDF, or message export).
- An operator: Replace keeps the advice readable.
- Optional role map for [SPECIALIST] / [PATIENT].
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Dr Ferreira → [SPECIALIST] |
| Names | PERSON | N. Oyelaran → [PATIENT] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | asked 02 May → [DATE] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | NHS 610 204 5678 → [NHS_NUMBER] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | ref note email → [EMAIL] |
| Location | LOCATION | Dermatology dept → [DEPT] |
Compliance achieved
- Strips special-category health data under UK GDPR Art. 9 & DPA 2018.
- Runs fully offline — no cloud upload, no processor agreement needed.
- Working files are protected with AES-256-GCM encryption.
Anonymise e-consult notes offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
An async exchange often quotes the caller’s own words. A job or a rare condition can re-identify with no name at all. Review such lines, and apply the ICO motivated-intruder test for uncommon cases.
Frequently asked questions
Should I remove the specialist’s name too?
Provider names are not the data subject's personal data. But blinded teaching usually swaps them. The tool can flag patient and provider names together or apart.
Does the swap touch the advice?
No. The opinion, reasoning, and plan stay word for word. Only identifiers change, so it keeps its teaching value.
Is an exchange from another trust safe here?
Yes. Work is local, so an outside consult is cleaned with no upload.