Which of the following is NOT a type of information that should be de-identified?

De-identifying information is a critical process in health care to protect patient privacy and comply with laws like HIPAA. Different types of data carry varying levels of identifying information, and understanding which data falls into this category helps ensure compliance with privacy regulations.

The year of data collection is considered non-identifiable since it does not provide specifics about individuals but rather a general time frame in which data was gathered. This means it can be shared without risking patient identification.

Discharge dates, birth dates, and admission dates are all specific to individual patients and can directly or indirectly lead to the identification of a patient when combined with other data points. Thus, these pieces of information are typically subject to de-identification efforts to protect patient privacy.

In summary, identifying information such as discharge dates, birth dates, and admission dates should be de-identified to ensure compliance with privacy regulations, while the year of data collection can be shared without revealing patient identities.