Offering compelling practical and legal reasons why de-identification should be one of the main approaches to protecting patients¿ privacy, this book outlines a proven, risk-based methodology for the de-identification of sensitive health information. The book contextualizes this risk-based methodology and provides a general overview of its steps. The author supplies a detailed case for why de-identification is important as well as best practices to help readers pinpoint when it is necessary to apply de-identification in the disclosure of personal health information.