How to de-identify surgical images
Before using surgical images for education, teaching, conference preparation, or personal reference, identifiable information must be removed.
What to remove
Images used for educational purposes should not contain information that could identify a specific patient. Common identifiers to remove include:
- Patient names
- Dates of birth
- Medical record numbers (MRN)
- Facial features or other identifying physical characteristics
- Any overlaid text containing patient demographics
General principles
Remove visible identifiers. Crop or redact any text, labels, or overlays that contain patient information before saving or uploading an image.
Avoid storing full patient context. Notes and titles should describe the pathology, anatomy, or procedure — not the patient. Use de-identified clinical details only.
Use only what is necessary for education. Include only the images and context needed to illustrate the teaching point. More information does not always mean better education.
Follow your institution's rules. Always follow institutional policies and applicable regulations regarding educational use of surgical images.
Important note
CaseArkive is designed for educational and professional reference use only. It is not a HIPAA-compliant clinical system, and it is not intended for storing protected health information (PHI).
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