Anonymous statistical methods versus cryptographic methods in epidemiology.
Sensitive data are most often indirectly identifiable and so need to be rendered anonymous in order to ensure privacy. Statistical methods to provide anonymity require data perturbation and so generate data processing difficulties. Encryption methods, while preserving confidentiality, do not require data modification.
Quantin
C
Medical Informatics Department, Dijon University Hospital, 1 Boulevard Jeanne d'Arc, BP 1542, 21034 Cedex, Dijon, France
Allaert
F
Dusserre
L