An Improved Check Digit-based Participant Identification System for Human Biorepositories

Bioresearch data primarily contain private identifiable information. Thus, to ensure personal information protection, anonymization is required throughout the data collection and storage phases, which necessitates significant efforts to prevent errors. This paper proposes a code system ideally suited for replacing personal identification numbers with unique identifiers. The study further explores a check digit algorithm optimized for minimizing identification errors. The participant identification number, which plays a crucial role in the integrated management of bioresearch data, comprises 10 digits, with the last one serving as the check digit for validating the accuracy of the identification number. Among check digit algorithms available for participant identification number systems, the Verhoeff algorithm has demonstrated superior error detection performance compared to other algorithms. Simulations and applications of the coding system confirmed that the proposed method effectively anonymizes personal identification information with improved accuracy. The method is highly applicable to various scenarios involving the collection and storage of bioresearch data.