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New software aims to strip private data from medical records

NCT ID NCT02795806

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: National Library of Medicine (NLM) Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only This study
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 5 times

Summary

This study tests a computer program called NLM Scrubber that automatically removes personal information like names and addresses from health records. Researchers will compare the software's results to manual de-identification using 50,000 existing records. The goal is to improve the tool's accuracy so that patient privacy is protected while keeping useful medical data intact.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
NLM Scrubber software
What this could lead to
If successful, this could lead to better privacy protection for patient data, allowing researchers to use health records more widely for studies.
What could go wrong
This is a software development study, not a treatment trial. The tool may still make errors, and results may not apply to all types of medical records.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 50,000 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Start date

May 2016

Expected to finish

Jan 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A government research agency

The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Everybody for whom a clinical narrative report is created.

Ages

1 day and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

* No new participant enrollment. Researchers will review data that have already been collected.

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Personally identifiable information

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • National Library of Medicine

    Bethesda, Maryland, United States