Deterministic Techniques for Reliable PII Redaction
Overview The market for Personally Identifiable Information (PII) redaction tools is increasingly saturated with AI-powered solutions. However, for highly sensitive healthcare datasets, traditional deterministic techniques—especially dictionary- and pattern-based methods—offer a safer and more controlled approach. This document outlines the rationale behind favoring deterministic methods and explains the strengths and limitations of each. Context: The Risks of Handling PII Healthcare datasets often include sensitive personal details such as: Patient names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, and emails Medical record numbers and Social Security numbers Insurance information, policy numbers, and group IDs Diagnoses, medications, dosages, treatment plans, and lab results Provider names and contact information Given the high stakes involved, it is critical to err on the side of caution —over-redacting when in doubt. The risk of exposing sensitiv...