Which statement about privacy in community health data is correct?

• A. Data should be publicly posted for transparency
• B. Confidentiality and de-identification protect privacy
• C. Consent is unnecessary for de-identified data
• D. Data should never be de-identified

Answer: (B)

Protecting privacy in community health data comes from keeping information confidential and removing identifying details through de-identification. Confidentiality means information is shared only with authorized people and safeguarded against unauthorized access. De-identification reduces the chance that someone can link the data back to an individual by removing or masking direct and indirect identifiers. When these protections are used together, data can be analyzed and shared for public health purposes while minimizing the risk of exposing a person’s identity.

Publicly posting data or never de-identifying data would clearly compromise privacy. Statements claiming consent isn’t needed for de-identified data oversimplify privacy and regulatory realities, while the emphasis here is on how confidentiality and de-identification work to protect individuals.