MediBloc - reinventing the approach to medical data handling, processing and storage!

focusnow (74)in #contest • 6 years ago (edited)

Image source: Pixabay ::Edited by @focusnow::

MediBloc is a revolutionary data center built on the blockchain. It aims to decentralize the centralized medical records system that we have on ground. How medical records are gathered, processed and stored has been subject to much talk and debate. There have been several issues ranging from data security and avaliability, medium of storage and who should have what rights. The problems with patient data records is huge and overwhemming. Take a look at some of these current issues.

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The Problem with centralized medical records system.

Here are some of the main challenges facing current medical systems of keeping patient data in one location.

1. Compatibility Issue

Different hospitals run different information systems. The centralized nature of storing patient data makes it a big challeng for hospitals to effectively exchange data. The hospital with the patient's data may be running a data storage system which is not compatible with the new hospital where the patient was transferred. This creates a difficult in sharing and harmonizing patient records; leading to incomplete medical treatments or procedures because of lack of complete knowledge of the client's situation.

2. Data breaches and theft

The current system of handling patient records in a centralized system increases the rate of medical records theft. With the increased rate of hackings and breaking into secure systems, storing medical data in one location becomes a huge risk. The high statistics of data theft supports this fact. Trust has been a major issue in this regards. People who are charged with maintaining medical data have been compromised the confidential nature of the job. Leading to unauthorized sale and transfer of patient data.

For example, the chart below shows that In 2015, more than 112 million healthcare records were breached just in the UnitedStates and annual financial loss is recorded to be over $6.2 billion[7,8].

Wrong application of privacy laws

Because of strick laws on privacy of medical records, it becomes difficult to obtain medical data for study and research. In the name of protecting patient data, access to vital information is denied health care researchers who wish to gain a deeper understand of some illness. In so doing, proper investigative research cannot be done to discover new ways of treating or handling illnesses.

These and many other challenges arise as a result of building centralized systems for data storage and processing. There is overwheming need to establish a decentralized platform that gives back the ultimate right of handling medical records to the patient.

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MediBlock Creates a unique decentralized Platform for medical data Handling.

MediBlock is a unique decentralized way of handling, processing and storing medical records with the patient at the center of data control. MediBloc seeks to rewrite medical information systems by creating a platform where patient records are stored in a decentralized manner, breaking down the walls that restrict data handling and access to few contrl centers.

Medibloc is a blockchain-based data handling platform that catalogues patient data in a comprehensive fashion. It creates a unique system of secure data handling where the patient holds the ultimate right to determine how personal medical data is handled. On MediBloc, patients have the power to delegate various rights of data handling to family members, medical staff or any other trustworthy party. This will ensure that in a case of emergency, trusted individuals can handle sensitive medical data and make binding decisions for the incapacitated.

Because MediBloc is a blockchain-based service, users are issued MedX which is the new token to be used to conduct transactions on the blockchain. Formerly, MediBloc issued Med as a token; but reverted to building their own blockchain. Former holders of Med are to be issued MedX as well.
The image below shows that both MedX and Med will be harmonized once MediBloc is launched

Consider some of the huge benefit that comes when individuals take care of personal records.

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MediBloc gives sovereignty of health information back to each individuals - with unlimited possibilities!

The concept of people-centered medical data handling is huge and the benefits cannot be overemphasized. Below are some of the many advantages of putting people in charge of personal medical data.

1. Medical Data can become Invaluable Asset
When patients have access and full rights to their personal medical data, they can turn that into a big asset. In this case, a patient can decide to get monetary rewards for personal data donated to some form of research.
In the name of privacy protection, health care experts withhold valuable data for medical analysis and research. Because the patient is so incapacitated that they can no longer make conscious decisions, healthcare providers usually decide to protect the patient records.
With MediBloc, a patient may decide to sell his records in a specially coordinated peer to peer contract.

Use case one
Jane suffers from a rare and unknown form of brain cancer. Because this disease has no known cure, doctors can only manage the situation with few antibiotics. In order to properly diagonize and treat her sickness, doctors need to undergo some research using some medical data. They are unable to get any data needed to do proper research because this disease is rare and unknown. Because Jane is a MediBloc user, she decides to make her medical records available for use in research. In exchange, she is paid some MedX tokens which will assist her continue her current treatment while research is conducted to ascertain the nature of the disease.
In this way, patients can gain monetary rewards by volunteering personal medical records.

2. It enhances and harmonizes medical treatments involving multiple hospitals
Imagine a complex health situation being handled by more than one hospital. With today's centralized systems, one hospital may withhold some records needed to continue treatment by the other hospital. In a worst case scenerior, there is incompatibility of information systems used by the different hospitals such that it becomes impossible to pass information from one data center to another. In results in inefficient handling and understanding of a patients situation. in most cases, it leads to data redundancies since each hospital is forced to create its own patient record.

Use case two
John is sick and obtaining treatment in hospital A. His condition becomes so critical he requires surgery which hospital A cannot handle. He is transfered to hospital B. Before Hospital B could do the surgery, they need John's treatment history from hospital A. They also need a special laboratory test that hospital C performed on John 3 months ago. Because hospitals A, B and C are on MediBloc, John's father, who John has granted access to his medical records on MediBloc, gave hospital B the access to obtain John's treatment history from hospital A and laboratory results from hospital C. These medical data were fetched in a record time and Hospital B performed the surgery successfully. John's life was saved. Everyone was thankfully to MediBloc.

So with Medibloc, each hospital is able to access patient records seamlessly as they are using the same decentralized platform. It enhances swift and efficient data management; which equally leads to better handling a patient's situation.

3. Patients become responsible for enforcing medical data security

We are tired of lawsuits here and there because of medical data theft and breaches. MediBloc will ultimately secure medical records using blockchain technology. Hence, individuals then hold the only keys to medical data access. Giving people the ability to control their data will reduce - if not eliminate - court cases involving patients and hospitals. Whatever happens to their personal data, patients become responsible., they and other parties handed the right to control medical records will be accountable to the situation.

By having full control of their medical records, patients determine how their medical data is used both in the medical field and other fields. Being an open source platform, Medibloc will enable platforms and various applications access to the data stored on the blockcain. So the patients may decide to make his medical record available to his insurance company or any other agencies. This will ensure swift availability of medical records and enhance any procedures that will require medical information.

This chart below shows how data security and access is built around the patient

From the chart above, the patient has exclusive access to his or her medical records. Of course, he can empower his next of kin or family members to be able to make decisions on his behalf in the case of medical emergency. This will enhance data security and access in any medical situation.

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The role of Centralized institutions in fully implementing Medibloc.

Medibloc hopes to convert centralized medical data systems to a decentralized one. Already, huge volume of personal data is currently stored in various health institutions in the world. Apart from medical institutions, other large corporations hold staff medical data in various central locations. These institutions have a big role to play as they already hold enough data needed to fully implement this project. So MediBloc has partnered with various companies and medical institutions to reach out to the vast volume of users on their database. With this partnership, Medibloc will explore all possible uses of this technology both on medical field and off it, and be able to have the widest coverage possible.

Some large medical institutions that have partnered with MediBloc includes the following:

Outside of the medical field, other huge institutions have joined the MediBloc partnership

Deloitte is an internationally recognized accounting firm that has joined the ever growing lists of partners who believe in the MediBloc initiative.

The illustation below shows that the number of medical institutions (Hospitals and clinics) who believes in MediBloc and have partnered with them continues to rise. Take a look:

Other partners were also cptured in this graphics below:

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Digital medical data storage on the blockchain is superior to Traditional Systems a thousand fold.

In many ways than one, storing medical data in digital format on the blockchain is vastly better than traditional (usually paper) records. Consider some of the benefits

1.Maximum Security
The traditional system of medical records keeping is very susceptible to leaks and data breaches. Even though there is a rule in place which states that “all medical information must be kept confidential”, this is far from reality. As medical records are passed from one medical institution, department and personnel to another, it somehow leaks and gets into the possession of unauthorized persons.
MediBloc almost eliminates thee problem of security found in traditional systems by giving patients the ultimate authority to secure their medical data. This ensures that only the patient is in charge of his personal records and whatever happens is traceable to him. Also, blockchain technology is far more secured than any traditional information systems. Blockchain is known to have layers of security, which is often missing in traditional systems.

2. Reliability and Availability
The blockchain is a more relaible way to store anything - including medical records. All data is not in a central location and hence, is not liable to attacks. The decentralized nature also makes data available at any point in time.

3. Very Transparent
Every activity on the blockchain is permanently recorded on the blockchain. unlike traditional systems where records could be erased or modified, the blockchain keeps an indelible record of everything, making it the most transparent system. Everything done on a a patient's medical data is on record.

4. Handling (Interoperability)
MediBloc is an open source platform. Medical institutions can develop Dapps which can run on the blockchain. It enhances the ability to share data. Also, medical data has a standardized format can be easily interoperable and transferred via MediBloc. In all, it is easy for any institutions to plugin into the platform and make use of available resources.