Tag: Blockchain Technology

Blockchain technology is based on digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record a transaction of value.

How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect Health Care In The Future?

Artificial intelligence could expand reach and efficiency of the healthcare system worldwide

Neil Jacobstien, chairman of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Robotics Track at Singular University, says artificial intelligence makes things humans couldn’t do before possible. He adds that AI has the ability to deliver billions of dollars worth of value and real help to clinicians in the healthcare industry.

AI has already entered the medical industry; it is being deployed in predictive analytics in patient monitoring devices, drug discovery, oncology, imaging, etc.

With increasing computing power and advances in machine learning and analytical algorithms, AI systems will become more powerful and effective in performance, revolutionizing medical diagnostics, treatment and research.

AI is expected to be useful in many areas of the healthcare industry.
Uses of AI technology in the healthcare industry

There are many ways AI will help the healthcare industry. Here are some of the most significant ways artificial intelligence is shaping the future of health care:

Enhanced diagnostic procedures

There are many diagnostic procedures in the medical industry that still depend on the collection of tissue samples. These existing procedures present the risks inherent to all invasive procedures. According to medical experts, AI technology may soon replace the requirement of biological tissue samples for diagnoses. It may give technicians the ability to identify and characterize tumours through image-based diagnostics.

Ideally, AI technology in the future, may enable specialists to collect the same detailed information collected from real tissue samples. For instance, with malignant tumours, AI will give specialists the ability to understand how an entire tumour affects a patient.  

Introduction of brain-computer interfaces

Computers have long been used for communication. However, scientists are searching for ways to create direct interfaces between computers and the human brain, which will significantly benefit patients. In the cases of accidents and neurological diseases, patients often lose their ability to speak, interact and move. AI-enabled brain-computer interfaces could potentially restore these abilities efficiently and in a meaningful way.

Physicians are also expecting that it will enable injured or ill patients to quickly restore their functionality. AI-based brain-computer interfaces may allow researchers to decipher the neural activities related to physical functions, helping afflicted patients to communicate immediately.

Decreased cost of care-giving

According to the management consulting company, Accenture, AI could provide healthcare organizations an annual savings of $150 billion by 2026. This revolutionary and smart technology has the ability to give health care firms the power to utilize the information generated by progressively connected information networks and medical devices. AI could help organizations cut costs and improve treatment outcomes significantly while lowering operational expenses.

According to Global management consultancy McKinsey & Company, potential annual savings of AI in healthcare is expected to be $300 billion USD (United Sates Dollar) in the United States and £3.3 billion in the United Kingdom.  

AI, through robotics, will reduce healthcare costs and increase performance.
Robotics in the healthcare industry

The increasing growth of digital information and big data systems present artificial intelligence a potentially crucial resource for collecting and extracting meaningful insight from increasingly smarter health care data networks.

In the near future, diagnostic technicians and wellness and lifestyle consultants may be able to leverage AI and wearable devices to optimize their medical services and improve treatment outcomes. As AI technology matures, it will improve the treatment outcomes and the operational efficiency of care, while decreasing the overall cost.

Automation of repetitive tasks

Health care firms constantly look for different ways to improve community health, and they also keep investigating the possibilities of AI implementation in many lucrative ways. Eventually, AI programs will enable organizations to discover new correlations among huge amounts of data. AI technology will allow health care organizations to automate their routine repetitive tasks and streamline their operations in various ways.  

It will improve the ability of care providers to deliver faster, more accurate and more precise services. Hospitals and devices will be generating and using an enormous amount of valuable and useful patient information at a surprisingly fast speed and accuracy.

Final words — Other potential benefits of AI

AI technology will solve one of the major roadblocks of the systems used in the healthcare industry. Advanced AI systems that can communicate with patients and make accurate diagnoses at the screening process will enable the growth of their availability and space.

In the future, AI technology is going to introduce hybrid models to be used in the medical industry. These models will aid technicians in diagnoses, treatment planning and identifying risk factors while retaining responsibilities for the patient’s care. It will result in faster adoption by healthcare providers by mitigating potential risks and start delivering measurable improvements in patient outcomes and operational efficiency at scale.

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ParagonCoin: The Cannabis Industry Hub

Most cities have office centers where entrepreneurs can make use of free internet and collaborate with startups. This is the model ParagonCoin hopes to emulate for marijuana.

ParagonCoin is a hub for connecting disparate parts of the cannabis industry through blockchain technology. Their goal is to bring industries from “marginalized to mainstream” while advocating for full legalization. It happens in 3 parts: Work spaces for entrepreneurs, social networks for collaboration and a cryptocurrency backed by Ethereum for secure transactions.

3 Part Strategy

The first part of the company is the work spaces they hope to set up in cities with light cannabis laws, or in countries that have legalized altogether (like the Netherlands). Thought of as incubators, these spaces will cater to those involved in every aspect of the business from growing to distributing and processing to buying. The central goal being reducing some of the barriers that patients, doctors and labs all face. Also, helping others with new ideas (banking, technology) to set off on their own and start complimentary businesses.

Second, those without a brick and mortar building within their community get to be a part of ParagonOnline. It works like a social network for people involved in the marijuana business. Members of the community are rewarded with tokens when their ideas are adopted by the collective (upvoted). In this way funding is awarded and everyone benefits. Marijuana is still illegal on a federal level in the US and restricted in other countries. Although laws are loosening everywhere, there are no guarantees that business will thrive. The social network aspect allows for a type of community in the absence of a physical hub for startups.

Third, the purpose of any cryptocurrency is to solve the banking and payments issue. ParagaonCoin (PRG) are bought and sold like other currencies and can be exchanged for dollars at certain exchanges. Owners with more tokens have more say in the direction of the company. Smart contracts are carried out on the Ethereum blockchain. Their ICO was for 100,000,000 tokens at $1 per token. It is possible for anyone to open coin account using Ethereum wallet.

Adopters

An entrepreneur with a growing operation could benefit from connecting to the online community. He could place orders with seed sellers in other states, use the tracking software to follow his purchased goods and ensure his customers are verified. He could also stay up to date on legislation impacting his business by communicating with like minded organizations. He is able to collect money and pay using the tokens through the blockchain supported interface. The potential to track plants from seed to sale is within reach in this connected community of marijuana businesses.

A second type of B2C adopter could be a owner of a dispensary in a state (like Oklahoma) where medical marijuana is legal but recreational is not. The smart contracts allow patients to buy products from the dispensary, verify digital signatures and pay with cash. The cash is a necessary requirement until federal laws change allowing medical cannabis dealers to register.

Another type could be a customer who lives a long way from a dispensary, but has a doctor’s prescription for cannabis based medicine. This person could have the medicine delivered instead of picking it up from a seller. This depends on the laws of the person’s state/country as well though. A patient with access to a cooperating doctor ( in the Paragon Online system) could take care of payment and ID verification remotely.

Paragon Coin ICO Legal Troubles

The California lawsuit claimed that Paragon failed to register their ICO with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If it’s found to be a security, founders and promoters, including Terrell Taylor a.k.a. “The Game” will have to endure some serious financial ramifications. The Paragon project successfully raised over USD 70M during their 2017 ICO.

Conclusion

A lot of the success from the Cannabis industry hangs on legalization around the world. Success has come in fits and starts but without collaboration and seamless execution among supply chains, it faces continued setbacks. Companies with smart contract options will fair best because blockchain takes a lot of guesswork out of payment verification.

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How Blockchain Smart Contracts Can Be Used for Healthcare

Blockchain continues to generate buzz within the health sector, and one particular application in the form of smart contracts, is now eyed as an innovation that can push the industry forward. Among its features, blockchain’s decentralized verification model is one of the most valuable. The industry can use it to deploy blockchain smart contracts, a type of decentralized contract that verifies, adjudicates, and executes itself.

Previously, payers and institutions were required to go through numerous transactions, processing and verification systems. For example, a person asking for insurance coverage might need a lawyer to negotiate a contract, making the execution of the contract cumbersome and expensive. And in the case of disputes, third parties are necessary to ensure fairness. Sometimes, people even feel the need to verify if a third party is qualified to adjudicate.

But with smart contracts, there is no third party. The terms of the contract are set and secured within the blockchain network, with the network itself acting as the ledger. When the contract’s terms are fulfilled, the terms will be executed.

This kind of technology is crucial in an industry such as healthcare, which has complex relationships with various agents. As healthcare processes are interconnected with banks, governments, legal institutions, and individual payers, executing contracts are often complicated. By using smart contracts, the whole transaction process is streamlined and simplified. This includes payment processing, claims adjudication, and other processes that typically require lawyers and months of waiting. Being able to consolidate these processes will improve the healthcare provider’s revenue performance and remittance. It will also mean fewer lawsuits and headaches.

Hospitals around the world are now seeing the benefits of blockchain smart contracts. Taipei Medical University Hospital recently launched an online blockchain-based healthcare platform that stores medical records, referrals, and other processes using smart contracts. Their system has become particularly effective in improving inter-hospital transfers and referral requests. This is similar to MedicalChain’s technology which was previously discussed on Blockchain Healthcare Review. Change’s Intelligent Healthcare Network and TIBCO’s recent collaboration, Project Dovetail, is also aiming to create an industry standard in healthcare smart contracts.

At the same time, healthcare institutions are now heading towards automation and more advanced security measures. This is due to the fact that the medical industry is a prime target for hackers. In fact, after the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo was hacked for 6 weeks, more hospitals have been proactive in terms of cybersecurity. IT professionals and cybersecurity managers are being hired to keep their data infrastructure as secure and updated as possible. This results in an increasing demand for healthcare administrators and managers that can rise to the challenges. Maryville University suggests that nowadays technical expertise is a skill that is very sought after by healthcare organizations in the US and across the world. Special skills such as proficiency in blockchain-based verification and consolidating data streams are necessary for a successful systems upgrade. Having personnel who are well versed in blockchain can also increase efficiency, as their familiarity with the technology allows them to facilitate faster information exchanges. One scenario could be having all of a doctor’s patient records stored in a single secure digital ledger, which can be quickly opened when needed.

While it may take some time before blockchain smart contracts can achieve industry-wide acceptance, they have already started to gain traction. In the meantime, the healthcare industry should consider preparing its workforce for more disruption.

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How Blockchain Technology can help Safeguard Cannabis Industry

With legalization of cannabis and marijuana in few states of North America, the entire cannabis industry and its growth has become the talk of the town. Another budding industry that is expected to disrupt almost all mega industries can play a major role in safeguarding cannabis industry. Any guesses which it is? Yes, you imagined it right. We are talking about how the potential of blockchain technology can help safeguard cannabis industry and marijuana dispensaries.

Top ways blockchain can help safeguard cannabis industry

cannabis health

Lending

Obviously, the blockchain can’t directly help with the regulatory environment or legalization concerns. However, the technology may be able to assist with the other burning issue i.e. lending. Cannabis businesses can’t normally access credit cards or bank loans. In some cases, even outside investment is also not possible to access. However, new models of blockchain-based lending are commencing to take shape in this space.

As per Cryptography expert Clark, the biggest concern in any sort of lending is the threat of the loan recipient escaping with the cash.

Clark says that “Blockchain will not solve that problem for you, but it can help by adding transparency, so you might know a reputation or have some insurance on the side or that type of thing.”

Blockchain-based payments

As per the latest industry research reports, legal cannabis is nearly a $7-billion business in the U.S. alone. In addition, most of the business is carried out in hard cash. This “cash only” trend is in the process of transformation or we can say that it must needs transformation.

The cash-intensive trait of the cannabis business invites criminal activity to some extent. If the money earned from the sale of cannabis is used in cash payments to workers like electricians, plumbers or other blue-collar jobbers, it falls under money laundering.

In the real world, not each and everyone is crazy about blockchain encryption.  But, if we talk about cannabis industry in particular, it is definitely eyeing on the blockchain encryption for safeguarding.

In order to safeguard reliability of the legal cannabis market, The Cannabis Act sanctions Health Canada to employ a national tracking system for marijuana, tracking seed to sale journey.

Store sensitive information

In the blockchain, encryption and verification is there at all stages, in all blocks. Hence, it is almost impossible for any single user to manipulate the data. A user cannot alter, hack or delete any kind of information from the block or sequence. So, it is safe to store any sensitive information pertaining to marijuana on blockchain platform. This feature is boon to the cannabis industry.

With legalization of marijuana and cannabis, the Canadian government also demands a thorough record keeping i.e. records of seed to sale tracking. Basically, it is insisted to help avert diversion of marijuana. In other words, the intent behind this demand is to keep an eye on and prevent the movement of legal cannabis to the illegal market and vice-versa.

Further, the following records pertaining to cannabis and marijuana need to be filed on monthly basis. As per the Act, all authorized companies operating in the cannabis industry should file records on how a particular weed / marijuana was

  • breed,
  • grew,
  • harvested,
  • destroyed,
  • sold,
  • lost due to theft and others

Protection to pot growers

There are existing blockchain solutions that keep absolute and crypto secured records of entire cannabis logistical supply chain. Examples include Medicinal Genomics and BLOCKStrain which enables utter transparency. Such transparency would see increased safety in not only workers or business owners but also consumers, patients and other industry participants. The entire transactions would easily be traceable. Blockchain acts as a single credible source of trusted data and safeguards pot growers. Regulators, producers, consumers, marijuana dispensaries, and patients – all would be able to verify the marijuana product’s quality as well as its authenticity and legal status. Through blockchain solutions, both pot growers and breeders can get the facility to protect their IP. On the other hand, governments will also be able to smoothly monitor compliance and control regulation in real time.

Cashless solutions

Transparency and security is crucial in the legal cannabis industry. As compared to cash-only alternative, so far, the blockchain has proven more secure option. This desire of going cashless to ensure security drives cryptocurrency in the cannabis market. Till now since 2010, many cannabis specific cryptocurrencies have emerged. To name a few, these digital currencies are: ParagonCoin, DopeCoin, PotCoin, CannabisCoin, HempCoin and CannaCoin.

The bottom line is:

Both blockchain and cryptocurrencies are making it effortless for the entire cannabis industry and those who are involved in the marijuana business. Starting from seed to sale, it can be extremely convenient to carry out transactions on blockchain platform. It will not be exaggerated to state that the future of budding cannabis industry lies in the blockchain technology.

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MediChain: a public blockchain medical information network

Blockchain technology is much broader than its application in cryptocurrency and Bitcoin. This technology depends and could not have been developed without large-scale cloud technology. In any kind of transaction system, the technology creates immutable data records of each transaction are distributed to all contributors to the network. In other words,

    • Every transaction is recorded in a way that no one can modify it or delete it.
    • Then all the transaction records become instantly available to all peer networked data system.
    • All clients of the system so that no one can doubt or question that a transaction took place and the nature and value of the transaction.

The financial sector has been the first to recognize the value of blockchain technology. Blockchain financial services are quickly growing, raising billions of capital dollars a year.

Data security

Blockchain goes beyond ordinary data encryption.

  • As each transaction proceeds and the details of the medical information are confirmed, the data is encoded into a block of digital data and uniquely signed or identified.
  • Each block is “chained” to the one before it and after it creating an irreversible and unmodified sequence.
  • Blocks are chained together, preventing any block from being altered, or a block from being inserted between existing blocks.
  • Then the chains of blocks create a shared system of records, already locked in place, among members of the network. This eliminated the need (or even the ability) to reconcile disparate ledgers or records.

MediChain- Medical Big-Data Platform

MediChain

MediChain leverages blockchain to store pointers and rules on usage and anonymity for data that is stored off-chain in a compliant cloud. This allows patients, doctors, and hospitals the ability to access their data at any time. Moreover, it allows other doctors and hospitals to access selected parts of the data.

Benefits of the MediChain innovative architecture:

  • Fast access and small downloads to make it practical for everyday medical use.
  • The protocol is based on smart cards, Homomorphic encrypted access rules tables, json data formats, lightweight and strong cryptography and blockchain technology
  • Enhanced transparency and reliability in medical data exchange at every level

Since systems can work with the almost universal and open json format, The MediChain protocol  improves patient data sharing and availability anywhere in the world.

Blockchain in healthcare

What distinguishes blockchain healthcare systems from other health service networks is the records in the blockchain network are universally distributed to all stakeholders. Managers and stars in the network are not favored. Considering the vast amount of medical data that is being collected with new medical digital electronics and wearable devices, the blockchain era is already started. Hyperledger, the open source umbrella of bitcoin development, does regular surveys of public attitudes.

  • The last Hyperledger survey found that the technology is not universally accepted in the healthcare industry.
    Less than half (42.9 percent) of healthcare organizations agree that interoperability of electronic health records will help to speed blockchain implementation.
  • Only 28.6 percent of healthcare organizations are ready to use this technology in health care settings today.

The main reason why medical organizations hesitate to use blockchain technology is the lack of understanding. At least a quarter of organization leaders are still educating themselves and exploring the ideas. Healthcare providers are insecure and before they can’t make commitments for their industry.

  • A large majority (65.4 percent) want a technical proof of concept.
  • More than a third (38.5 percent) want proof that the systems are really secure and (35.6 percent) want proof that the data is kept private.
  • Nearly a quarter (23.1 percent) of healthcare organizations want more proof that blockchain systems can meet regulatory approval.

As the actual number of patients using the healthcare system rises and the number of data variables stored on a regular basis increases, healthcare providers have to manage huge storage issues every day. The data volume increases each year. Hospitals and clinics find it harder to process and store information from patient health information, electronic health records, (more recently) data from IoT devices and monitoring systems, and (significantly) medical insurance claim information.

A big and increasingly strident issue is the security and correctness of healthcare data. A means of verifying that data is correct is crucial for ensuring proper medical services.

  • One of the big advantages of blockchain is data integrity.
  • Once information is recorded and encrypted it becomes impossible to change or remove it.
  • One approach to blockchain for secure recording and sharing of information is the anchoring of data to the public blockchain.
  • This allows users to verify the integrity of public health records.
  • Professionals can perform medical audits and present results which cannot be altered or changed.
  • The expense of audits can be reduced.
  • Regulatory compliance can be assured.
  • Data safety can be ensured as well.
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UnityPoint Health Systems faced cyber attacks – how blockchain can help

In August, as many as 1.4 million patient records were compromised at UnityPoint Health Systems when an email phishing scam breached the provider’s network. This was the second of two cyber attacks on the Iowa-based health provider, with clinics and hospitals in Iowa, Wisconsin and Chicago.

The first attack was discovered in April and compromised more than 16,000 health records. The attack may have been found a full four months after the provider’s network had already been compromised. Employees rushed to change passwords, but another series of email phishing attacks loomed.

Email phishing scams, in this case, mean the contact or employee received an email that mimicked a legitimate contractor, vendor or company.

These types of cleverly-disguised emails may include an access link giving the hacker carte blanche with the system. The phishing email may also encourage the contact to update their information. The better phishing emails sometimes appear to come from a vendor that the contact has already worked with or is working with, which makes it more likely that the contact will share requested information.

A spokesperson for UnityPoint Health Systems explained that the cyber attacks were probably aimed at vendor accounts—an attempt to redirect payments or payroll—and not patient records. Despite this, the attacks compromised names, social security numbers, banking information and more.

The sheer number of compromised files after the second series of attacks—equal to more than one-fifth of the Wisconsin state population—prompted the state’s attorney general to recommend credit freezes on compromised health accounts, and a class action lawsuit has already, allegedly, been levied against UnityPoint Health Systems.

The Outlook for UnityPoint Health Systems

The Office of Civil Rights has yet to weigh in on UnityPoint Health System’s possible HIPAA violations, but if recent fines are any indication, the health provider may be in trouble.

Earlier this year, Fresenius Medical Care North America was fined $3.5 million when an OCR investigation revealed that the provider or related covered entities had not performed thorough risk analyses to expose ePHI vulnerabilities. These fines were levied despite no evidence of a breach and following an OCR investigation that took place in 2013.

In summary, and in relation to UnityPoint Health Systems, HIPAA compliance calls for weighing the strength of cybersecurity and physical security protocols against threats to client data, this includes the way employees and business associates handle, access, or store PHI and ePHI. HIPAA also calls for compliance documentation, and encryption is part of the Security Rule—45 CFR 164.304. There is no specific wording in HIPAA regarding email phishing scams, but past fines for phishing compromises fell under 164.308, a section that outlines the responsibility of covered entities to provide security awareness training.

THE HIPAA PENALTY BREAKDOWN

Tier 1: The covered entity is unaware of the violation, and the violation could not have been reasonably avoided–PENALTY: $100 per violation up to $50,000.

Tier 2: The covered entity should have been aware of the violation, and the violation is deemed preventable—PENALTY: $1,000 per violation up to $50,000.

Tier 3: The covered entity demonstrates compliance neglect, but shows efforts to bring the flagged issues into compliance—PENALTY: $10,000 per violation up to $50,000.

Tier 4: The covered entity demonstrates compliance neglect, but shows no effort to bring the flagged issues into compliance—PENALTY: $50,000 per violation.

So far, no money has changed hands in the reported civil suit filed against UnityPoint Health Systems.

However, OCR has already issued more than $24 million in HIPAA fines to other covered entities, and it is only October. At the close of 2017, total fines stood at just over $20 million, and at the close of 2015, HIPAA fines stood at just $6.1 million. When the OCR issues fines for HIPAA violations, these fines are per violation and per day that the violation was active, and the fines can reach back years.

A recent round of OCR audits revealed that almost 85% of evaluated covered entities scored below tier 3 in risk. This equates to negligible and preventable violations, still commonplace more than 20 years after HIPAA implementation.

UnityPoint Health Systems has since reset passwords, utilized multi-factor authentication and enrolled employees in phishing education, but it may be too little too late.

According to a report released by McAfee Labs in March, the health care industry is the number one target for hackers. In fact, cyber attacks grew by more than 200 percent in 2017 over the previous year, and 2018 is gearing up to top last year.

How blockchain can help

Guardtime is a production example that utilizes blockchain technology to secure data. Instead of utilizing verification keys, they instead distribute data to a decentralized set of nodes where the system routinely compares metadata packets. If any end up not aligning, they are excluded. As a result the only way to alter data distributed on the nodes is to alter the blockchain itself by destroying all the nodes. The advantage of this is that if just one node with accurate data remains online after countermeasures defeat the attack, the entire system can be restored.

Guardtime’s system detects changes to data and is subsequently constantly verifying the changes. These types of measures ensure minimal weak ‘links in the chain’ i.e. tampering with the ledgers contained in the blocks, thus the data remains uncompromised.

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Security Risks in Medical IoT Devices – MEDJACK Malware Review

Devices on the Internet of Things are a weak point in many networks. Too often, they have outdated operating systems and poor security protection. IT administrators can’t get at their internals. Deploying insecure devices in healthcare systems can produce especially damaging consequences. Health-related data is a prime target, and the legal penalties for failing to protect personal health information are severe. An infected device may not function properly, putting patients’ health and even lives at risk.

Current risks of medical IoT devices:

    • With the number of IoT devices growing from millions to 100s of millions centralized processes cannot scale​
    • Current processes are vulnerable to variety of threats.

Attacks on devices through MEDJACK

The MEDJACK attack provides a case in point. It’s a set of malware tools that target medical devices. MEDJACK takes advantage of weaknesses in older operating systems which are embedded in devices. They include Windows XP, 2000, and Server 2003, as well as some Linux distributions. It has gone through several revisions, each time devising new ways to bypass defenses.

It follows the “command and control” model, where it installs malware in a device which then sends data to a server that belongs to the attacker. The aim is to exfiltrate confidential data on the patient or the provider. Such data has high resale value. The devices serve as a pivot point from which the malware can reach other systems on the network.

The difficulties in defending against MEDJACK

Several factors make it difficult to detect and defend against these attacks. The devices are usually black boxes to the IT department. There often is no way to connect a console to them. Installing anti-malware software is difficult. Even if there is a way to do it, it may be inadvisable, since it would modify the behavior of an FDA-certified device. If a desktop computer stops running properly because of security software, it’s a nuisance that can be fixed. If a lifesaving device has the same problem, the consequences could be much worse.

As a result, the IT department is dependent on the manufacturer to issue security patches. Some manufacturers are slow at this. Some are reluctant to update certified devices, even though the FDA has issued guidelines stating that security patches don’t require re-certification of the device.

TrapX report – a case of malicious penetration

TrapX’s report, “Anatomy of an Attack,” describes three breaches that resulted from MEDJACK. They are similar in many ways, and a detailed look at the first will be informative.

A hospital, not named in the study, experienced several security alerts. The point of penetration was three blood gas analyzers, which had been breached in separate attacks. They had set up backdoors in the local network and were sending hospital data to a server in Europe. The amount of data stolen is uncertain, but there clearly was a breach.

After gaining a foothold in the devices, the attack used malware such as Zeus and Citadel to find passwords to other systems. The devices stored their data without encryption, simplifying the acquisition of confidential information.

Blood gas analyzers are used for critical treatment. They can’t simply be pulled out of service. Remedying the malware problem, even when it is known, is a difficult task.

The hospital had respectable network security. It had a firewall, heuristic intrusion detection, endpoint security, and antivirus software. These were insufficient to prevent intrusion because the devices had antiquated operating systems and because it was impossible to install security software on them.

TrapX concluded that the attackers could have not only stolen data but modified internal data. While the report doesn’t indicate that malicious modifications occurred, a similar attack could make devices produce false data on patients. That could lead to deadly errors in treatment.

Benefits of blockchain integration

Manufacturers using enabled blockchains can construct authorization/authentication databases. The QBRICS enterprise platform presents a unique example of an integrated blockchain solution. QBRICS proposes that authorization/authentication databases be propagated to read-only permission blockchain databases downstream using proprietary transmission protocols​. A plugin provided by the blockchain platform on IoT devices would then authenticate using the most proximate database. Fully deployed, relevant data from inventory, operational analytics (usage), marketing perspective would be readily accessible for consumption by business intelligence tools.The complete solution would provide:

    • No rogue devices (stolen devices, unauthorized vendors etc)​
    • Near-universal availability of device information (including software and hardware)​
    • Device movement and location information​
    • Device usage information ​
    • Device software upgrades easier (as targets easily identified, maintenance becomes easier)​

Conclusion

As this case shows, IoT-based attacks are difficult to prevent and detect. Several actions, however, can reduce the risk:

  • Take security features into account when selecting devices, when information on them is available.
  • Keep IoT devices on a separate subnetwork which doesn’t have access to critical information.
  • Use firewalls to strictly limit inbound and outbound access to IoT devices.
  • Run frequent security scans for any signs of infection.
  • Doing without the devices is rarely an option. The only alternative is to give extra attention to their security.

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PetLife ICO – Leading Blockchain Veterinary Platform

The ICO for Petlife supports its blockchain platform, which provides 24/7 veterinary medical assistance through telemedicine and artificial intelligence.

By using the App the owner of the pet can ensure essential medical assistance for the pet, namely remote consultations, interpretation of medical test results, storage of data and electronic prescription. In turn, the veterinary specialist carries out consultations, makes medical reports and gets payment.

petlife logo

Petlife has the ready-made prototype of the telemedicine platform. The service allows to collect clinical information, store medical data, prepare for medical testings, carry out primary and further consultations, monitor key indicators, control drug therapy and quality of treatment, make reports, carry out transactions. Petlife has been clinically tested and is starting to work on the market. The service has got reviews of the medical community and first clients opinions.

The clinical assistant model is being developed at the moment. It will work by means of self-learning neural networks. The module will create the optimal variant of pet treatment on the base of intermediate and input data, for instance, complaints, symptoms, results of medical tests, anamnesis.

The pet owner needs to choose the specialist (it may be a general veterinarian or narrow specialist, for example, a surgeon, radiologist, infectiologist), convenient time for a consultation, way of contacting the vet (video consultation, chat or call).   

The veterinarian goes through the medical record of the pet and the results of preceding tests and previous recommendations, studies the anamnesis, asks questions about pet’s health, and after the consultation the specialist makes reports, writes prescriptions for medication and gives necessary recommendations.

The electronic medical record stores the full course of treatment, fixes all the changes of pet’s state of health which can be added to the record by the veterinarian or the pet owner. This medical record belongs to a certain pet and remains unchangeable even if the pet is taken by another owner.

Key features of PetLife

petlife application

Remote consultations. During the consultation the vet can set a diagnosis, determine the course of treatment, analyze the results of medical testings and makes recommendations remotely.

Schedule. The veterinarian indicates consultation time, gets through the patient’s profile and sets the price for the consultation.

Emergency assistance. Even if the veterinarian isn’t online at the moment and so can’t respond to your message, other specialists receive the notification about your request.

Video chat. The attending veterinarian estimates the pet’s state of health, writes a prescription, works out the treatment plan and gives recommendation.

Data integrity. Data stored in smart contracts is encrypted and distributed between the nodes. It guarantees that no node will be lost or altered without a permit.

Billing system. Payment for the service by the patient and billing by the vet are carried out with fiat money or cryptocurrency.

Petlife solves the following problems:

  • The pet owner and the pet are far away from the city, or it is impossible to find the veterinarian in the nearby area. Then the option of the video consultation should be used.
  • The pet owner doesn’t trust the attending veterinarian or the diagnostician. In this case the Second Opinion service may be useful.
  • The pet owner cannot find the pet’s medical record. The solution is the electronic veterinary record.
  • The essential medicine is only dispensed on prescription. In this case the pet owner can get the electronic prescription.
  • The pet owner doesn’t have enough time to go to the clinic. Then telemedicine is the most optimal solution.

Blockchain medical record

In Petlife anamnesis, all testings results, presumed diagnosis and other information about the treatment of the pet whose owner wants to get a consultation are added to the electronic medical record that may be updated. In the App medical data is stored and the medical record is made. The veterinarian can study all the data to be ready for the forthcoming consultation, control alteration of the clinical indicator, estimate the treatment dynamics, send the patient to have some additional testings done, write prescription.

Telemedicine

Petlife provides the possibility to carry out consultations remotely in real time. The veterinarian can hold scheduled or emergency consultations with the pet owner by using video communication. Besides, the service enables several vets from different veterinary medical centres (up to 16 specialists at once) to hold discussion on complicated clinical cases. When the consultation finishes, the veterinarian makes a medical report, determines the course of the treatment, prescribes needed testings, gives recommendations and writes an electronic prescription.

Smart contracts

Petlife is the first application for veterinarians and pet owners which functions by means of smart contracts developed on the base of the blockchain technology. The Petlife smart contracts constitute a special computer algorithm. It monitors payment for services, data storage and input in the blockchain medical record. By using smart contracts, pet owners, veterinarians, clinics, and pharmaceutical companies can provide pets with necessary treatment, exchange information with each other, seek for needed drugs and pay for services.

Artificial intelligence

The artificial intelligence technology in the Petlife App identifies patterns in data got during previous testings, forecasts the possible deterioration of the pet’s state of health taking into account medical data got earlier, enables the vet to develop the plan of effective treatment of the pet, makes prompts and alternative ways to solve medical issues.

Petlife in the legal field

VCPR (Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship) is the jural definition of the remote consultation in veterinary medicine adopted in the USA and European countries. At the start of the project the main objective was that the service should be in compliance with the VCPR legal requirements.

What we use the blockchain technology in the Petlife App for

Data storage. Veterinary medical record contains reports of veterinarians, preoperative epicrisis and operation protocols, results of different types of diagnostics, prescriptions and recommendations. The whole chain of blocks is updated by the Petlife App online so that it allows to see the treatment dynamics or to assess the pet’s state of health.

Treatment. The Petlife App provides the access to medical data and medical record. One of the main principles of the service’s work – invariability of the chain – makes it possible for the vet to assess treatment quality, give a competent answer or make a report for judicial proceedings. The veterinary medical record can be used to control  treatment quality, study the dynamics of the previous treatment and monitor the results of the current treatment course.

Payment for services. The service allows to make:

  • Cross-border payments without additional charges for conversion of currency;
  • Express payment between the participants of veterinary medical assistance (insurance companies, veterinary clinics and pharmaceutical companies).

PETL Cryptocurrency Tokens

The PETL token is used as an internal mean of payment on the platform. This is the token that is in compliance with the ERC20 standard and based on Ethereum.

The purpose of PETL token issue is to attract investments ranged in size from $4M to $15M to develop the blockchain veterinary record and the mobile application, realize the strategy of investment marketing and start the monetization on the target market.

The purpose of PETL purchase is the possibility to pay for Petlife services. The PETL token provides the exclusive access to the goods and the right to get termless discount up to 30% on all the services offered by the Telemedicine OÜ company in the mobile or web version of the Petlife App. By using tokens users can pay the consultation of the veterinarian, buy insurance companies products, goods and medicines for pets, new services that will be offered in the App.

In addition, users can exchange tokens with each others during paid consultations thus sharing experience of caring for exotic pets.

Team

Andrey Fedorov, primary investor, M.D. and CEO. Has experience in the management of teams of medical specialists and was the head of the radiology department. Worked as CEO in the IT medical project and managed business practices in governmental institutions. Is well informed of all the aspects of the product development and organizational process, interested in innovations and features of medical technology.

Vlad Dyachenko, CTO. Has experience in the sphere of blockchain-development. Works on the development of the Petlife App: writes BACKEND and FRONTEND, builds Ethereum-based smart-contracts, checks the quality of the security system and teaches the service to use tokens. Vlad is a certified specialist in a number of technologies.

Marina Kuzmicheva, CMO. Develops the content plan and the marketing strategy. Works on the development, implementation and realization of marketing plans, coordinates marketing campaigns and controls the routine marketing actions of the organization.

Petlife has social significance. Every day thousands of animals need treatment. Every year the market of veterinary services is growing by 8%, and in 2017 it amounted to $30 billion. Medicine is not keeping pace with the dynamics of the market. There are some difficulties – lack of specialists, high cost of services, extra appointments, taking drugs without a prescription and low quality of medical assistance.

Petlife solves these problems with the help of telemedicine and blockchain. The service unites veterinarians and pet owners in a single ecosystem. The Petlife App provides video communication with the veterinarian, electronic prescription, medical record, search for the best vet, convenient payment for veterinary services and clinical protocols.

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How blockchain-based veterinary telemedicine can help your pet?

Sometimes it happens that pet’s behavior is a matter of concern. What’s a pet owner to do? In this article the team at PetLife will tell what situations are urgent and you need to schedule an appointment to veterinarian or you can get use of telemedicine and receive telehealth consultation. Veterinary care providers are looking for a way to cover the growing demand for veterinary care are are merging the communication benefits of telehealth and infrastructure benefits of blockchain fir enhanced interpretation of test results, data storage and electronic prescriptions.

Cough

The reasons for pet’s cough may be of different nature. Some of them not that serious and don’t require immediate veterinary visit, others pose a threat for pet’s life. For instance, the cough may appear if a pet choked on something or there is a serious problem in the lungs or the heart. During a telehealth consultation,  a veterinarian can decide whether your pet needs an in-person appointment and further examination.

Poor appetite

Have you noticed that your pet has a poor appetite? Don’t panic! A veterinarian will evaluate the situation via telehealth consultation and  decide whether it’s possible to help your pet at home or you should visit a clinic through online chat. Take pet’s temperature before the call — it will help the veterinarian to make the right decision and provide valuable health data for the pets’ electronic record. If the pet has the signs of dehydration, lack of appetite during a long period of time or stomach ache, the vet will schedule you an appointment for an immediate consultation as they could be symptoms of a larger issue.

Dermal itching

Dermal itching is very common among dogs. Mostly it caused by ectoparasite bites, infection and food hypersensitivity. If a pet has itching a veterinarian via video consultation will be able to identify its cause and issue prescriptions quickly and efficiently simply by observing the video feed. No need to hassle your pet by taking it to the veterinary office in the first place. Chances are, you will be directed to a clinic to take samples of skin for analysis to get the full picture. In other cases a vet will help you to choose antiparasitic treatment. With blockchain technology, clinics, labs and offices can be interconnected and securely share health data for your pet regardless of their internal software they leverage in their day to day operations. 

Vomit

Vomit is quite common too and it may be caused by many reasons. It is a defense mechanism that aimed to remove all the toxic, poisoning, inedible particles and foreign bodies from the digestive tract. Fortunately, it not necessarily indicates danger. A veterinarian can evaluate pet’s health condition and give you directions on how to treat it at home. If a pet has a stomach ache, constantly vomiting or the vomit contains blood don’t delay your visit to the clinic. 

There exist many more cases that the article describes. So, you should remember if the pet’s behavior causes suspicion, the faster you detect the reason the better. Telemedicine based on blockchain will help to understand that the pet is not in danger and calm down or give a preliminary diagnosis and determine how urgent your visit to a clinic is.

Petlife is an international blockchain-based platform for pet owners and providers of veterinary care.

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Medicalchain – Blockchain for Electronic Health Records

medicalchainAt the core of MedicalChain is the idea that medical data should be accessible by doctor and patient alike. Currently, individual records are housed in local hospitals and clinics. This makes it difficult for providers to update information efficiently and leaves the individual patient out of the equation. The best way to achieve updated medical information is through a digital platform both doctor and patient can access for payments, health updates and prescription ordering. The platform is built on a system of secure, distributed transactions that patients can view like a ledger. The records can’t be altered because the platform assigns time stamping and numbered sequences to each record, called blocks. The MedicalChain app allows access to the records anywhere in the world by digital key holders.

Blockchain Technology

Since the app works with the patient as the central figure, they can allow and forbid access to clinicians, insurers, pharmacists and anyone they give permission to. Patients can request second opinions or allow certain doctors to write prescriptions to an encrypted page. A pharmacist with access could fill the prescription and take payment through the app. The data is stored on multiple servers that work on the same blockchain consensus, called nodes. Each one encrypts a portion of the blockchain ledger and records every transaction or change to the patient account, preventing unauthorized uses. It uses Hyperledger’s language to determine domain model for the network.

Token Economics

The MedicalChain ecosystem works through digital tokens. The ICO offered up 500 million in MedTokens for use on MedicalChain. The tokens can be used by research institutions to pay individuals for access to their health data used in trials. The tokens are also used to pay for medical services by hospitals using MedicalChain resources. Computer operators on the network (nodes) are also paid in tokens for maintaining the ledger. Physicians are also paid in tokens for answering patient questions and participating in telemedicine consultations.

B2C Digital Health Adopters

The ideal adopter of this technology is a patient that travels often. The accessibility of the secure web portal makes staying on top of personal medical information easy when out of the patient’s country of origin. The telemedicine consultations allow those in foreign countries access to a doctor that speaks their language.

A second type if adopter might be a family in a country without access to a hospital but with decent communications (internet, phone). They can get advice from experts and pay for services from their accounts with the tokens. The token value isn’t determined by a weak currency either, it retains its value in relation to services on the app.

A third type is anyone with a long history of medical problems and disparate records. The difficulty of collecting years of hospital visits, payments and medicine is made easier by adding it to a secure database protected by blockchain technology.

B2B Adopters

MedicalChain could add insurance providers and third party outfits like medical device companies and gyms to their ecosystem. With the tokens, patients could be rewarded for going with a low cost service provider recommended by MedicalChain. One can imagine the possibilities of discounts getting larger for patients as the number of companies signed on grows.

The biggest advantage of blockchain technology is the security of the records for individual users. Security is a major concern in the healthcare industry since so much medical information is required (legally) to be kept private. Hospitals and clinics value patient confidentiality and demand secure networks.

The potential for efficient patient care shows blockchains have a real value in the healthcare industry. If enough hospitals partner with groups offering centralized record keeping it could be the new norm for medicine and treatment.

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