Medibloc: The Future Of The Healthcare Information System.

Introduction

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Going to the hospital for treatment is no fun particularly for patients. To get adequate treatment, medical records are important and can be in some cases, life saving. It ensures that patients are cared for correctly especially when their caretakers are changed( perhaps a change of health care provider). Important facts taken by a former caretaker could have so much effect on the future actions of a new health care provider.

Medical records are also important as they assist in emergency situations. As a patient may not be in the position to communicate, an accurate medical record helps a doctor give appropriate treatment to avoid possible drug interaction.

What are Medical Records?

A medical record is a combination of a patient's demographic information which includes name, age, gender, address etc, medical history, test results, vaccinations, significant illnesses and other medical history. It is a known fact however that these records are kept and maintained by individual medical institutions who solely have a right to this information, disallowing any outside interference or sharing. Even the patient is only entitled to personal information only provided on request.

Many problems have risen from this traditional system of keeping records, it is no wonder more patients are clamouring for the right to have full control over their medical records as the system has failed them, time and time again.

What Are The Problems Of The Present Healthcare Information System.

Imagine visiting three different hospitals in a year and you are asked to repeat the same tests all over again! So you undergo the same set of tests thrice in a row. The funny thing is these tests are expensive and you keep thinking, why can't I just get the test results from the last hospital so I can proceed with treatment here and save money and time. This brings us to the first problem, centralization. It is difficult to share medical data between hospitals as their systems are different. Transferring medical information is an uphill task. The situation is very bad. Sharing of medical information is not impossible as it is done strictly when necessary.

Also the lack of digitalized medical records pose a problem to the system.

According to a research by U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, only a half of total medical institutions has an EMR/EHR system which has complete functionality.
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Government regulation doesn't help matters either in most countries. With the current system, there is a high risk of data loss and breach of information. There is no guarantee in the integrity and security of patient data. Records have shown that the number of medical records being exposed keep increasing.

The inaccessibility of medical data inevitably affects the patient. Healthcare providers are handicapped when they do not have adequate information to give the best if care to their patients. A lot of tests are repeated wasting time and money in the process. Insurance companies are not left out as they face losses due to inadequate and sometimes falsified medical records.

The importance of digitalized medical data can never be overrated. Medical and public health researchers, as well as business stakeholders can benefit immensely from this. The ability to conduct precise evidence-based research from high quality organized records would be easily achieved. There is a growing concern about the way private medical data is shared without the consent of the patient. There is an increasing need for patients to have absolute authority over their medical records.

Why Should Patients Have Full Control Over Their Medical Records?

First, it would save time and money. It reduces duplicate procedures such as conduction of multiple tests which saves time for both the patient and doctor.

A physician makes better health decisions when he has adequate knowledge of previous health histories.
Misdiagnosis and medical interactions, including the hazards attached to it are avoided.

It also enables the patient to do self monitoring. With adequate information, the patient can keep track of their medications, diet e.t.c.

In time of crisis or emergency, a patient can get accurate medical treatment without fear of medical drug interactions.

In summary, a patient is better able to monitor his health as he is in control of all de visions affecting him. He is better able to care for himself helping his physician in the process.

It is unfortunate that patients are not given this opportunity. How can they get the information they need?

Medibloc Is The Answer We All Need.

What Is Medibloc?

Medibloc is an healthcare data platform built on the blockchain that gives a patient the absolute authority over their medical records. They have designed a system which is interoperable, secure and transparent that allows patients to collect their own health information.

With Medibloc, patients can easily access their medical information as well as choose who to disclose this information to. Patients are not the only ones who can use this platform, individuals, research institutions, private corporations, medical practitioners are also allowed on this platform, accessing patient data only with permission.
Users are rewarded on Medibloc with Medi token(MED) which is the cryptocurrency on offer on the platform. MED can also be used for transactions conducted on Medibloc such as payment of medical expenses, insurance premiums to mention a few.

What Are The Characteristics of Medibloc?

Provision of Maximum Security.
As stipulated by HIPAA privacy rules, it is mandated that all medical data should be kept confidential. The present system which is centralized exposes medical records to risks of leakage of sensitive information. It is the wish of Medibloc to remove this possibility, reducing the access of health personnel to medical data. Rights to these records are given to patients who will then have the authority to easily access and gather their health information with the power of the blockchain technology.

Access to Reliable Information
Data storage is centralized in our world today but Medibloc comes up with a decentralized data storage. Backup data is continuously generated, the integrity of data collected is verified and in case of modulations, original data can be recovered through backup data. To prove the platform is reliable, it is impossible to delete and modify data already recorded on Medibloc . Also, only verified medical personnel are given the authority to view patient's records. Verification is done through the health care provider's credential system, confirming through the blockchain.

A High Level Of Transparency Is Maintained
A record is kept of all who gets in touch with information within the system. Adequate information is provided about when, where and for what purpose a piece of I formation was used. Medibloc stops the exploitation of the healthcare information system by allowing users manage and preside over their personal healthcare data.

High Interoperability
Medibloc is open-source. Data can be shared freely on Medibloc. Healthcare data stored on the platform can be used to link other platform applications. Medical images and genetic information can easily be transferred through Medibloc as they are classed as standardised data. Data like medical records, laboratory results, tests results that are not standardized are interoperable since Medibloc supports various formats.

Easy Accessibility
Medibloc changes the outlook of the healthcare information system by providing a decentralized medium for storing healthcare data as well as Patient-Generated Health Record(PGHR). All information gathered medically can be stored on Medibloc which can be used anywhere in the world for treatment.

These features of Medibloc are quite different from the traditional system which has been in place since ages. As we all know, information is crucial and could indeed lead to saving lives. As limited access to medical records will be removed, patients have the right to share their data with whoever they like. Researchers who are in need of adequate information to carry out research can do so with less difficulty. Insurance companies get first hand information about a patient's medical data reducing losses which would have otherwise been incurred.

Digital Medical Data Storage On The Blockchain VS Traditional Medical Data Storage Methods.

Better Security
On the block chain, maximum security is assured. A patient's interest is protected, there would be no fear of information breach or leak.

Time And Cost Efficient
Fast and cheap transactions occur only on the blockchain. It provides an avenue for an efficient patient- doctor relation.

Accessible Information

Interoperability
Unlike the traditional system where data is not transferable, the block chain is highly interoperable allowing easy share of information.

** Medibloc Account**

Three types of accounts can be opened on Medibloc; the general users, healthcare providers, and data researchers. All have different roles and authority in the Medibloc ecosystem.

Technical Details

Token Model

Medibloc will give out Medi token(MED). MED is the main source of exchange in the platform as reward for interaction within the ecosystem. Medi points(MP) would be used to measure participation on the platform. However, unlike MED, MP cannot be transferred out of the system.

Token distribution

Use Cases

Accessible Personal Health Report
With Medibloc, formerly scattered inaccessible medical records would be available at the tip of the fingers. Just one tap and you have your complete medical record.

Insurance Claim
Using smart contracts, insurance claims after treatment can be directly and automatically sent to insurance companies for compensation. All claims and evaluations on health insurance would be done with the help of smart contracts.

P2P Healthcare Information Market.
Clinical Trial
Telemedicine
Social Networking Among Users

Roadmap

Platform Roadmap

Application Roadmap

Medibloc Team.

Conclusion.

Visiting the hospital is no fun. However, one's visit can be eased with the use of digitalized records keeping system that is easily accessible to both patient and physician. Waste of time and expenses is eliminated. An individual can so benefit from having access and control over median all records as he is able to be more responsible in taking care of himself, getting accurate help during emergencies, and at the same time ensuring privacy which is optimum. Medibloc offers all that and more. It is secure, transparent, decentralized and highly interoperable.

For more information,

MediBloc Website
MediBloc WhitePaper (ENG)
MediBloc FAQ
MediBloc Medium
MediBloc Twitter
MediBloc Facebook
MediBloc Github
MediBloc Telegram
Written for originalworks writing contest
All images taken from Medibloc website and white paper.
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