Blockchain Universal Identifier for Veterinary Patient Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively connect and transfer veterinary patient records across different veterinary offices due to the lack of a universal identifier and mechanism for associating records, leading to incomplete and inaccurate medical histories.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a blockchain network to generate a universal veterinary patient identifier, allowing access to medical records by updating a distributed ledger with a cryptographic hash, enabling secure and decentralized storage and retrieval of medical information across disparate computer systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a universal veterinary patient identifier system is implemented across multiple veterinary offices, then access to complete medical records is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blockchain network as an intermediary layer between veterinary offices and patient records. The blockchain serves as a neutral mediator that stores cryptographic hashes of medical records and links them to universal patient identifiers, enabling cross-office record access without requiring direct integration between veterinary practice management systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal veterinary patient identifier that functions across multiple veterinary offices and different practice management systems. This single identifier system provides multi-functional access to patient records, medical histories, and treatment information regardless of which veterinary office created or is accessing the records.
2Reliability
If cryptographic hashes are stored on a distributed ledger to secure medical records, then data security is improved, but storage requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential security elements (cryptographic hashes of medical records and universal patient identifiers) and stores them on the blockchain, while keeping the full medical record data in the original veterinary practice management systems. This separation allows the blockchain to provide security verification without storing or processing large volumes of medical data.
3Measurement precision
If manual entry of veterinary patient identifiers is replaced with automated systems, then accuracy is improved, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a system where the blockchain network automatically generates and manages universal veterinary patient identifiers and their associated cryptographic hashes. The system self-services by autonomously creating record access links when medical records are added to the blockchain, eliminating the need for manual identifier entry and reducing human error.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a method includes receiving an input from a first computer system including medical record information associated with a veterinary patient and a veterinary patient identifier unique to the veterinary patient, saving the medical record information to a second computer system different from the first computer system, updating a distributed ledger to associate the veterinary patient identifier with the medical record information saved to the second computer system using a cryptographic hash pointing to a data block of the distributed ledger, receiving an access request from a third computer system different from the first computer system and the second computer system, accessing the distributed ledger to retrieve an updated cryptographic hash, and based on the updated cryptographic hash, electronically enabling access by the third computer system to the medical record information of the veterinary patient saved at the second computer system.