Data

When data is anonymous, they are not linked to the identity of individual subjects in any way that would make it possible to connect the information to the individual from whom it came. Anonymous data does NOT have direct identifiers like names, addresses, clinic or hospital number, Social Security Number, or insurance agency numbers. Data that is linked to subjects via a CODE are NOT anonymous. When data is confidential, there is a link between data and the individuals who provide it, but the link is obscured by coding or other procedures so that even someone who has access to the raw data cannot identify a subject without also having access to the link between the subject code and the subject’s identity.