In imaging privacy, when should de-identified data be used?

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Protecting patient privacy in imaging relies on using de-identified data whenever possible and on securing how those images are stored and shared. De-identification reduces the chance that a patient could be recognized when data are used for research, education, or quality improvement, while still allowing meaningful analysis. Even after data are de-identified, data should be stored in secure systems and transmitted with encryption and proper access controls to minimize any remaining risk of re-identification. This practice applies broadly, not just to marketing, and reflects privacy protections that go beyond simply keeping data non-identifiable in one context. Using identifiable data whenever possible or never de-identifying data would compromise privacy, so the recommended approach is to use de-identified data whenever feasible, with secure storage and transmission of the images.