No Place to Hide — Reverse Identification of Patients from Published Maps

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Abstract
The mapping of health data is now widespread in both academic research and public health practice.1 Although the notion that location influences the risk of disease dates back to the mapping of yellow fever and cholera in the 1800s, research that integrates maps with human health is an emerging field based on the widespread availability of geographic information system (GIS) software.2 Such systems have broad applicability, and their use has been fueled by the availability of increased computing power, user-friendly software, and large geographic databases. The number of publications that use GIS data for health research has grown by about 26% per year, four times the rate of increase in the number of articles on human health in general.2 Patients' addresses are mapped to identify patterns, correlates, and predictors of disease. These maps are then published electronically and in print.1

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