Private collection: high correlation of sample collection and patient admission date in clinical microbiological testing complicates sharing of phylodynamic metadata.

ABSTRACT: Infectious pathogens are known for their rapid evolutionary rates with new mutations arising over days to weeks. The ability to rapidly recover whole genome sequences and analyze the spread and evolution of pathogens using genetic information and pathogen collection dates has lead to interest in real-time tracking of infectious transmission and outbreaks. However, the level of temporal resolution afforded by these analyses may conflict with definitions of what constitutes protected health information (PHI) and privacy requirements for de-identification for publication and public sharing of research data and metadata. In the United States, dates and locations associated with patient care that provide greater resolution than year or the first three digits of the zip code are generally consid

SUBMITTER: Shean RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5829646 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature