Fig. 4: Examples of record matching and de-identification approaches.

a Individual records, even for the same person, may be distinct enough to introduce linkage challenges. Here, multiple unique datasets containing records for one individual are compared. For successful Privacy Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL) linkage of the two datasets followed by de-identification, identity resolution is performed to confirm that the relevant records capture the same individual. b Identical information, captured in slightly different formats, must be modified to uniformity and then necessary personally identifiable information (PII) removed for general encryption. Next, the normalized and encrypted data can be linked and further modified for specific uses.