Giving patients secure << Google-like >> access to their medical record

The main problem for the patient who wants to have access to all of the information about his health is that this information is very often spread over many medical records. Therefore, it would be convenient for the patient, after being identified and authenticated, to use a kind of specific medical search engine as one part of the solution to this main problem. The principal objective is for the patient to have access to his or her medical information at anytime and wherever it has been stored. This proposal for secure "Google Like" access requires the addition of different conditions: very strict identity checks using cryptographic techniques such as those planned for the electronic signature, which will not only ensure authentication of the patient and integrity of the file, but also protection of the confidentiality and access follow-up. The electronic medical record must also be electronically signed by the practitioner in order to provide evidence that he has given his agreement and accepted responsibility for the content. This electronic signature also prevents any kind of post-transmission falsification. New advances in technology make it possible to envisage access to medical records anywhere and anytime, thanks to Grid and watermarking methodologies.