Selecting Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for Managing Health Data Use

Abstract

Privacy protection for health data is more than simply stripping datasets of specific identifiers. Privacy protection increasingly means the application of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), also known as privacy engineering. Demands for the application of PETs are not yet met with ease of use or even understanding. This paper provides a scope of the current peer-reviewed evidence regarding the practical use or adoption of various PETs for managing health data privacy. We describe the state of knowledge of PETS for the use and exchange of health data specifically and build a practical perspective on the steps needed to improve the standardization of the application of PETs for diverse uses of health data.