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. 2005 Jul;79(1):81-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2005.03.004.

An optimal code for patient identifiers

Andreas Faldum  1 , Klaus Pommerening
Affiliations

An optimal code for patient identifiers

Andreas Faldum et al. Comput Methods Programs Biomed. 2005 Jul.

Abstract

How to distinguish 1 billion individuals by an identifier consisting of eight characters, allowing a reasonable amount of error detection or even error correction? Our solution of this problem is an optimal code over a 32-character alphabet that detects up to two errors and corrects one error as well as a transposition of two adjacent characters. The corresponding encoding and error checking algorithms are available for free; they are also embedded as components of the pseudonymisation service that is used in the TMF-the German telematics platform for health research networks.

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