According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which of the following must be removed from all records in order to de-identify information for use and disclosure?

While ethnicity can contribute to identifying an individual, it is categorized as an indirect identifier. HIPAA allows for the use of such information if combined with other identifiers, making it less critical to remove compared to direct identifiers like birth dates.

Gender is also regarded as an indirect identifier. Although it can provide context about a patient, it does not uniquely identify an individual on its own. Therefore, it does not require removal for the purpose of de-identification according to HIPAA standards.

Marital status is considered an indirect identifier that may provide some demographic insight but does not uniquely identify an individual. Its removal is not mandated for de-identification under HIPAA, as it does not pose the same level of risk as direct identifiers.

Like ethnicity and gender, race is an indirect identifier and can be retained in de-identified data. HIPAA does not require its removal, as it does not directly compromise patient confidentiality when used alongside other non-identifying information.