Limited Data Set. PHI that excludes direct identifiers of the individuals or relatives, employers, or household members of the individual with certain exceptions including city, state, zip code, elements of dates, and other numbers, characteristics or codes not listed as direct identifiers.
Limited Data Sets. Concerning the type of data collected, Limited Data Sets contain “PHI that excludes 16 categories of direct identifiers and may be used or disclosed, for purposes of research, public health, or health care operations, without obtaining either an individual's Authorization or a waiver or an alteration of Authorization for its use and disclosure, with a data use agreement.” A limited data set may include city; state; ZIP code; elements of date; and other numbers, characteristics, or codes not listed as direct identifiers. Direct identifiers listed in the Privacy Rule's limited data set provisions apply both to information about the individual and to information about the individual's relatives, employers, or household members. (See also: Direct Identifiers Not Allowed in Limited Data Sets and Data Use Agreement.)