A tamper-resistant and portable healthcare folder

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Device Technology
• Data Security

Background:

• Electronic health record (EHR) systems aim to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs through centralized data management.
• Centralized EHR databases offer benefits in data quality, availability, and failure protection.
• Patient reluctance exists regarding the control of sensitive medical data stored on distant servers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a portable hardware device that combines smart card security with USB key storage capacity.
• To empower patients with control over their medical data, particularly sensitive information.
• To enhance traditional EHR systems by enabling secure sharing and offline access to patient data.

Main Methods:

• Development and utilization of a novel portable device for secure medical data storage.
• Integration of the device with a traditional EHR server architecture.
• Experimentation within a medicosocial network context for home-based elderly care.

Main Results:

• The proposed device successfully complements EHR servers for protecting and sharing highly sensitive patient data.
• The system provides seamless data access for patients, even in disconnected environments.
• The architecture was validated in a real-world medicosocial network setting.

Conclusions:

• The portable device effectively addresses patient concerns about sensitive data control in EHR systems.
• This approach enhances both the security and accessibility of electronic health records.
• The solution offers a practical method for managing sensitive medical information in home care settings.