Simple anonymization

Anonymization is a way to protect patient privacy when handling healthcare data. There are many techniques for anonymization. Removing the last two digits (e.g., turning 90210 into 902**) for example, helps hide precise locations. We can also remove more digits/characters from the user ID or phone number. This is a form of using suppression to anonymize data. We can also use generalization to protect privacy. Instead of the exact ages, we can group them into ranges like "20-29" or "50-59". This allows for data analysis while reducing the risks of identifiying individuals. The last time is perturbation, where the exact values are adjusted. For example, we inject some noise into the blood pressure recordings. This adjustment is done while keeping the data useful for analysis. As future healthcare workers, understanding these basic techniques helps ensure privacy while working with sensitive patient information.