Dual function seal: visualized digital signature for electronic medical record systems

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Cryptography
• Image Processing

Background:

• Digital signatures are crucial for integrity and non-repudiation in electronic medical record systems (EMRS).
• Current digital signatures lack familiarity for medical staff, potentially reducing trust compared to traditional handwritten signatures or seals.
• Legal requirements mandate the use of digital signatures in EMRS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a dual function seal that bridges the gap between traditional seals and digital signatures.
• To enhance user trust and acceptance of digital signatures among medical personnel.
• To integrate a visualized digital signature into electronic medical record systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype dual function seal combining traditional and digital seal functionalities.
• Utilization of Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) for generating visualized digital signatures.
• Verification of image distortions using Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and testing signature recoverability.

Main Results:

• The dual function seal prototype successfully generates visualized digital signatures that resemble traditional seals.
• PSNR values ranging from 70 dB to 80 dB indicate distortions beyond human recognition, preserving visual distinctiveness.
• Signature recoverability tests confirmed the verifiability of the visualized digital signatures.

Conclusions:

• The proposed dual function seal enhances trust and usability of digital signatures in EMRS for medical personnel.
• Visualized digital signatures generated using DWT are secure, verifiable, and integrate seamlessly into EMRS.
• This approach addresses the trust barrier associated with unfamiliar digital signature formats in healthcare settings.