The Importance of Anonymizing Images in Clinical Research

In clinical research, photographs often contain sensitive information, such as patient names, birth dates, national IDs, or recognizable facial features.

To comply with local data protection regulations, it's crucial to remove these identifying details before uploading images to any online platforms, including eCRFs.

To address this need, EasyMedStat provides a feature that allows users to overlay anonymization masks onto images prior to upload.

On which images does it work?

Our anonymization tool is compatible with various image formats, including PNG, JPG, and more.

Please note that this feature is not applicable to document formats such as PDFs, Word files, or DICOM files (.dcm).

It can not be used with DICOM files (.dcm).

How to add an anonymization mask?

1. Add a picture to the patient form by clicking on the upload button
2. A preview of the picture is displayed on the screen
3. Click on the image to start drawing an anonymization mask
4. Extend the anonymization mask as much as you need to cover the identifying data
5. You can add several anonymization masks if needed

Can I remove an anonymization mask?

You can easily remove a mask immediately after its addition by pressing the "delete" key. However, be aware that once a mask is applied and the image is saved, it becomes permanent. It's important to remember that once downloaded, the anonymization masks will remain in place on the image, ensuring continuous protection of patient privacy.

If you or an other user download the image, the anonymization mask will remain on the picture.