Centralized Support User Management for Healthcare Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed healthcare information management systems, traditional approaches to managing central support user access are insecure and inefficient, as generic administrator logins are shared among multiple users, leading to difficulties in tracking specific user actions and maintaining security, especially when user roles change.
Innovation Solution
A centralized support user management system where permission data for support users is established and managed at a central server, allowing unique credentials and granular access control, enabling efficient distribution of permission changes across all local nodes and enhancing security by tracking specific user actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If generic administrator login is provided to all central support users for access to local node, then ease of operation is improved, but security and user tracking capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the generic administrator login into individual user credentials. Each central support user is assigned a unique username and password combination, replacing the shared generic login. This segmentation enables individual user tracking while maintaining access capability, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a centralized user management system that provides feedback mechanisms for user authentication and authorization. The central server maintains user credential databases and provides real-time verification, enabling secure tracking of individual user actions while maintaining ease of access through automated authentication processes.
2Ease of operation
If generic administrator login is shared among multiple users, then ease of operation is improved, but ability to track specific user actions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shared administrator account into individual user accounts with unique identifiers. Each central support user receives distinct credentials (username/password), enabling the system to track and attribute specific actions to individual users while maintaining the simplicity of centralized authentication through the user management system.
3Reliability
If role-based security model is implemented with individual user credentials, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the user management functionality into a centralized system that coordinates between the central server and local nodes. Rather than implementing complex security systems at each local node, the authentication and authorization logic is consolidated at the central server, reducing local device complexity while maintaining strong security through centralized credential verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized user management system as an intermediary between users and local nodes. This intermediary handles authentication, credential verification, and authorization decisions, simplifying the security implementation at local nodes while maintaining robust security through centralized control and coordination.
4Adaptability or versatility
If permission data is managed centrally at server, then adaptability and efficiency of permission changes is improved, but network communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic synchronization of permission data from the central server to local nodes. Rather than continuous communication, the system updates permission data at scheduled intervals or when changes occur, reducing network traffic while maintaining adaptability. Local nodes receive updated permission sets periodically and cache them for efficient local enforcement.
Data Source
AI summary
Centralized support user management in a distributed healthcare information management system is disclosed. Support user management may include generation of permission data that may be distributed from a central server to one or more remote access terminals, which may execute a healthcare information management application such as, for example, a pharmacy workflow management application. The permission data is used to authenticate remote verification users, thereby enabling remote verification of the preparation of medication doses at individual dose preparation work stations.