De-Identify PHI in Seconds
Remove all 18 HIPAA Safe Harbor identifiers from your research transcripts. Upload your files, we handle the rest.
De-Identification Demo
Input
Result
This demo is for illustrative purposes only. Please do not enter actual PHI or sensitive data. For real de-identification, use our secure platform.
De-Identification Services
Your Research Team Should Be Doing Research
Right now, your research assistants are spending hours manually redacting names, dates, and locations from transcripts. That's not research -- it's busywork. You have a .docx from a focus group interview and you need the PHI gone. Upload the file. We strip all 18 HIPAA identifiers, replace them with consistent pseudonyms ([Participant 1], [City A]), and deliver a clean transcript ready for NVivo, Atlas.ti, or Dedoose. Your team gets back to the work that actually moves the study forward.
18
HIPAA identifiers removed per Safe Harbor standard
99%
Recall rate on PHI detection
200+
Research institutions with BAAs in place
$0
Included free with transcription
HIPAA Safe Harbor Method
All 18 HIPAA Identifiers, Handled
The HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR 164.514) requires removal of 18 categories of protected health information before data can be shared without authorization. We handle every one.
How It Works
Three steps from PHI to publication-ready.
Upload
Upload your audio files or existing transcripts (.docx, .pdf, .txt) through our secure, encrypted platform. Tell us which identifiers to target or select full Safe Harbor removal.
We Handle It
We process your transcripts, replacing identifiers with consistent pseudonyms ([Participant 1], [City A]) and preserving your coding structure for qualitative analysis.
Download
Get your de-identified transcripts back ready for analysis. Every file includes a de-identification log documenting what was changed, ready for your IRB audit trail.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is HIPAA de-identification?
- HIPAA de-identification is the process of removing or transforming the 18 categories of protected health information (PHI) defined under the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR 164.514) so that data no longer identifies an individual. The two approved methods are Safe Harbor (removing all 18 identifier types) and Expert Determination (a statistician certifies re-identification risk is very small). Landmark uses the Safe Harbor method.
- What are the 18 HIPAA Safe Harbor identifiers?
- The 18 identifiers are: names, geographic data smaller than a state, dates (except year) related to an individual, phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, health plan beneficiary numbers, account numbers, certificate/license numbers, vehicle identifiers, device identifiers, web URLs, IP addresses, biometric identifiers, full-face photographs, and any other unique identifying number or code.
- How does your de-identification work?
- Upload your transcript (.docx, .pdf, .txt) or audio file and select which identifiers to remove (or choose full Safe Harbor removal). We process the file, replace all PHI with consistent pseudonyms ([Participant 1], [City A]), and return a clean transcript ready for qualitative analysis in NVivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose, or MAXQDA.
- Can you sign a BAA (Business Associate Agreement)?
- Yes. We routinely sign BAAs with universities, hospitals, and research institutions. We already have BAAs in place with over 200 institutions. We can use your template or provide ours.
- Is your de-identification service IRB compliant?
- Yes. Our process is designed to meet IRB requirements for participant privacy protection. We provide documentation including de-identification logs and methodology descriptions that you can include in your IRB application or audit materials.
- How much does de-identification cost?
- De-identification is included at no additional charge for all transcription customers. If you need de-identification for existing transcripts (not transcribed by us), contact us for a quote.
- What file formats do you accept?
- We accept audio files (MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC) for combined transcription and de-identification, or existing transcripts (Word, PDF, TXT) for de-identification only. Finished files are delivered in your preferred format, ready for import into NVivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose, or MAXQDA.
Ready to remove PHI from your transcripts?
De-identification is included at no charge for all transcription customers. Upload your files and get HIPAA-clean transcripts back.
Free account. No credit card required.