MediBlock
Protecting Patients and Doctors Everywhere
Solution
MediBlock utilizes the fundamentals of blockchain to provide people with medical records efficiently and safely. Through the use of a ledger and encryption Mediblock is able to store medical records while maintaining confidentiality, and following HIPAA guidelines.
The use of the Polkadots parachain allows for information to be accurately sent and received in seconds. Additionally, due to the MediBlocks ledger that holds the patients’ information, the patient will never need to fill in forms, and the employees won’t need to spend time validating and imputing patient information. Instead, the full validated information can be found on the MediBlock ledger, in turn saving time and minimizing chances of personal information leaks.
Problem
230 million US health records have been lost or stolen in just the last decade accounting for around 41.2 million a year. The lack of medical records can result in delays in medical treatment and also cause incorrect diagnosis which can result in the patients’ death. The loss of data is also dangerous for the doctor because it can result in lawsuits for breaking HIPAA guidelines, cost thousands of dollars, and the revocation of their medical license Additionally, Medical records take around 15 days to transfer and urgent requests can take up to 2 hours. The slow transfer can often prove life-threatening in case of emergencies as even a second loss can affect a patient's health immensely.
Transferring Medical Records
The transferring of medical records from doctors to doctors or patients is a lengthy process that can legally take around 15 - 20 days on average per transfer. This setback in transferring can be very dangerous, as it often results in a delay in treatment which may prove life-threatening to the patient.
Time efficiency
When visiting a doctor an individual spends on average 10-30 minutes inputting personal information such as medical history, social security numbers, and insurance details. This process is not only time-consuming and tedious but could also result in a threat to confidentiality. Research shows that after filling out these forms, they are often placed in the office for 10 minutes to an hour. During this wait time, there is a possibility for strangers or clients to view the patient information which is a breach of patient confidentiality. The leak of such personal information, SSA, and more violates patient confidentiality.
Proposed Business Strategies
Protecting Patients and Doctors Everywhere
24 Hour Accessibility
Mediblock utilizes a blockchain ledger system in order to make the medical records and information available to anyone who receives permission from the doctor or patient.
In the MediBlock blockchain, everyone in the system will know certain medical records exist, but unless given permission from the patient or doctor, they can not view who, where or what the documents contain. In this form, all members of the system can see that 2 people made a transfer of medical records/information, but they will be unable to identify who specifically made the transfer. This is because the users are named by unique hashes that are encrypted, therefore others will only be able to see random letters and numbers for who and where, as the contents of the record will be unviewable until granted access. Therefore, if someone is given access to the records, the patient or doctor will use a public and private key to send the information to the specific party requesting access. The use of private and public keys will ensure that only members who received permission to access the records are able to access them. In conclusion, everyone has the availability of the information on the blockchain, they just can’t access the records themselves, or the information regarding the who and where the transaction occurs. Since the records exist with everyone, by the patient or doctor simply completing the RSA Algorithm with public and private keys, one is able to quickly get access to medical records. Also, keep in mind that this process is nearly impossible to hack because of miners, RSA algorithm, and 2-factor authentication.
Confidentiality
Mediblock uses cryptography to asymmetrically encrypt the patients’ medical records to prevent unauthorized members from viewing private information. Additionally, using the RSA Algorithm to produce public and private keys will be put into use as a form to maintain confidentiality between the two members of the intended transaction. Mediblock will also use two-factor authentication, to prevent unwanted members from getting access to all the patients’ private information. In these 3 ways, Midiblock will be able to successfully transfer confidential information safely. At MediBlock all members are provided with anonymity until the patient or doctor verifies their want to transfer records, then only the person receiving your document would receive specific information regarding the member. Therefore in the network, your information regarding a transfer will show, however, the members and the locations stay anonymous and the file itself is not open to viewers until granted access.
Quick Transaction Speeds
MediBlock values, patients, time and therefore works toward decreasing time spent, transferring medical records, and filling out forms. So this time can be spent with your loved ones or doing something you love.
“Lost time is never found again.” – Benjamin Franklin
MediBlock utilizes Polkadots parachain in the blockchain to conduct 1,000 TSP (transactions per second), meaning 1,000 medical records can be transferred in one second. With a capacity of around 16,666 TPS.This is significantly faster than the traditional methods of transferring patient records through Fax which can take up to a week. The use of a ledger that holds the information of all patient medical records also eliminates the time patients take to fill out visit forms and saves employees the time and hassle of inputting patient information into their system. Because the information is already readily available on the blockchain, with the patient’s permission, the hospital or doctor can directly receive all patient information.