- Removing personal identifiers from patient data primarily upholds the ethical principle of Confidentiality.
- This practice ensures that a patient’s private information is protected from unauthorized access, maintaining trust between patients and healthcare providers.
- By de-identifying data, healthcare professionals prevent the risk of sensitive information being linked back to individuals, thereby safeguarding their privacy.
- This is crucial in ethical medical practice as it respects the patient's right to keep their health information secure.

Reference: Beauchamp & Childress, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 8th Edition, Chapter 4 – Confidentiality, pp. 130-135