Anonymous Interactive Display for Medical Security Timeout

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current patient privacy protection measures in medical settings, such as security timeouts, often hinder healthcare professionals' ability to perform tasks efficiently by timing out during inactivity, leading to frustration and potential loss of work, despite the need to protect sensitive patient information.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an extended timeout feature that allows healthcare professionals to continue using interactive diagnostic systems without exposing patient privacy information, by masking or removing sensitive data during the extended timeout period, while still enabling access to non-confidential data for ongoing analyses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a security timeout is implemented to protect patient privacy information, then patient privacy is protected, but the healthcare professional's work is interrupted and user experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient privacy protectionVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the timeout behavior into two distinct modes: a first timeout behavior that fully removes patient privacy information from the display, and a second timeout behavior that maintains an anonymous interactive display with removed identifiers. This segmentation allows the system to provide different timeout experiences based on whether the display shows patient privacy information, thereby protecting privacy while maintaining usability during procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts timeout behavior based on the presence of patient privacy information. When patient privacy information is detected in the display, the first timeout behavior is applied (removing information). When no patient privacy information is present, the second timeout behavior applies (anonymous display). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system responsive to the actual privacy risk level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a security timeout is implemented to protect patient privacy information, then patient privacy is protected, but work continuity is disrupted and time is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient privacy protectionVSAvoidwork interruption time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The timeout functionality is segmented into two distinct behaviors: a first timeout that removes patient privacy information and a second timeout that provides an extended anonymous display period. This segmentation eliminates the need for complete system logout and login cycles, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous useful action by providing an anonymous interactive display during the second timeout behavior. The healthcare professional can continue to interact with the system and view anonymized patient data without interruption, ensuring workflow continuity while still protecting patient privacy through the removal of identifiable information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If patient privacy information is completely removed during timeout, then privacy is protected, but the healthcare professional cannot access necessary data for ongoing procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient privacy protectionVSAvoidaccess to patient data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments information display into two categories: patient privacy information (identifiers) that is removed during timeout, and patient-specific data (medical information) that is preserved in an anonymized form. This segmentation allows privacy protection through identifier removal while maintaining access to necessary medical data for ongoing procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts and removes only the patient privacy information (identifiers such as names and IDs) from the display during timeout, while retaining the essential patient-specific medical data in an anonymized format. This selective extraction protects privacy while preserving the medical information needed for continuous procedure support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10951715B2Systems and methods for generating an anonymous interactive display in an extended timeout period

Publication Date: 2021.03.16 HEARTFLOW INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed for displaying health data during a security timeout. One method includes: displaying an interactive interface; receiving a data type included in the display; detecting a timeout of the interactive interface; hiding or removing the data type from the display in response to the timeout; and initiating an extended timeout including the display with the data type removed.