Q:

De-idenfity HL7 Data

Is anyone aware of a tool to de-identify/anomomize an HL7.
I am basically looking for a tool to de-identify both individual and batch hl7 messages.

A:

You can take a look at Caristix's Cloak tool (http://caristix.com/products/cloak/). 
Here is the description from the web site:
Caristix Cloak de-identifies protected patient data at the source, in HL7 logs and message flows. It produces auditable reports after each de-identification. It is the easiest way to generate clinically valid data for interface development, testing, and analytics — and remain compliant with your HIPAA policies and procedures.
It's quite quick and easy to use.  It can use realistic data like fake patient names and addresses, not just random strings.  Also, when you de-identify several messages, the clinical workflow remains as PatientX is replaced by patientY for the whole list of messages. 
Disclaimer: I'm part of the team developing the tool at Caristix...

