▁data . ▁ ▁That ▁the ▁Cover ed ▁Entity ▁or ▁Business ▁Associ ate ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁actual ▁knowledge ▁that ▁the ▁resid ual ▁information ▁in ▁the ▁data ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁alone , ▁or ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁other ▁information , ▁to ▁identify ▁an ▁individual . ▁Sa fe ▁Har bor ▁is ▁a ▁highly ▁pres cript ive ▁approach ▁to ▁de - ident ification . ▁Under ▁this ▁method , ▁all ▁dates ▁must ▁be ▁generalized ▁to ▁year ▁and ▁zip ▁codes ▁reduced ▁to ▁three ▁digits . ▁The ▁same ▁approach ▁is ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁data ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁context . ▁Even ▁if ▁the ▁information ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁shared ▁with ▁a ▁trust ed ▁research er ▁who ▁wishes ▁to ▁analyze ▁the ▁data ▁for ▁season al ▁variations ▁in ▁ac ute ▁resp ir atory ▁cases ▁and , ▁thus , ▁requires ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁hospital ▁ad mission , ▁this ▁information ▁cannot ▁be ▁provided ; ▁only ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁ad mission ▁would ▁be ▁retained . ▁ ▁Ex pert ▁Det erm ination ▁Ex pert ▁Det erm ination ▁takes ▁a ▁risk - based ▁approach ▁to ▁de - ident ification ▁that ▁applies ▁current ▁standards ▁and ▁best ▁practices ▁from ▁the ▁research ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁that ▁a ▁person ▁could ▁be ▁identified ▁from ▁their ▁protected ▁health ▁information . ▁This ▁method ▁requires ▁that ▁a ▁person ▁with ▁appropriate ▁knowledge ▁of ▁and ▁experience ▁with ▁generally ▁accepted ▁statistical ▁and ▁scientific ▁principles ▁and ▁methods ▁render ▁the ▁information ▁not ▁individually ▁ident ifiable . ▁It ▁requires : ▁ ▁That ▁the ▁risk ▁is ▁very ▁small ▁that ▁the ▁information ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁alone , ▁or ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁other ▁reason ably