title: A one way public key cryptosystem for the linkage of nominal files in epidemiological studies.
abstract: An encryption method is proposed for nominal files to allow their linkage while respecting confidentiality rules. In contrast to most encryption algorithms, this encryption method must be non-reversible. The method is based on congruence, like the SAN MARCO algorithm, and satisfies the two following conditions. 1) Non-reversible enciphering, which implies the possibility of collisions. 2) The collision rate must be minimized, to allow file linkage. The security of this method is, in addition, guaranteed by a key, which is destroyed after enciphering and is not given to the recipient of the coded file.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Informatique Medicale, CHRU de Dijon, BP 1542 - 21034 DIJON Cedex - FRANCE.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dusserre
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quantin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouzelat
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D018511:Systems Integration