SecourHealth: a delay-tolerant security framework for mobile health data collection

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Mobile Computing
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) solutions are increasingly used for remote patient data collection.
• Existing mHealth systems often lack robust security measures, posing risks to sensitive medical information.
• This gap is particularly concerning for applications collecting data in home or remote settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce SecourHealth, a lightweight security framework designed for sensitive data collection applications.
• To address the security vulnerabilities in current mHealth solutions.
• To provide robust data protection for stored and in-transit information.

Main Methods:

• Development of a lightweight security framework, SecourHealth.
• Implementation of security services for both stored and in-transit data.
• Analysis of the framework's features, including connectivity tolerance and device security.

Main Results:

• SecourHealth offers tolerance to lack of connectivity, crucial for remote health initiatives.
• The framework protects data even if the device is lost, stolen, or shared.
• Demonstrated integration feasibility within a real-world data collection solution in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Conclusions:

• SecourHealth provides a viable solution to enhance security in mHealth data collection.
• The framework's features address key challenges in securing sensitive health information in diverse environments.
• The successful integration highlights its practical applicability in real-world mHealth deployments.