Cloud-to-Local Switching for Medical Data Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud-based Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) face conflicts during synchronization of medical data between healthcare facilities, particularly when network connections are disrupted, leading to potential data inconsistencies and downtime due to unclear editing permissions on shared patient data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that allows local servers to switch to local repositories during disconnection, prohibiting alterations of shared patient data and synchronizing only necessary data, ensuring continuous workflow and reducing conflicts by managing access and editing permissions across facilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cloud-based PACS is used to enable remote access and sharing of medical images, then accessibility and efficiency are improved, but data synchronization conflicts and consistency issues occur when network connections are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by checking connection status before accessing the cloud repository and by proactively switching to local repository in advance when disconnection is detected. This prevents data inconsistency by ensuring the system is already in the correct operational mode before conflicts can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The local repository acts as an intermediary between the cloud repository and the healthcare facility system. During network disconnections, the local repository mediates data access operations, allowing the system to continue functioning with locally cached data while preventing direct access conflicts with the cloud repository.
2Productivity
If local servers access cloud repository during disconnection, then workflow continuity is maintained, but data conflicts arise from unauthorized alterations of shared patient data
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different access permissions to different data based on its origin and sharing status. Locally acquired data can be modified, while shared patient data from other facilities is marked as read-only. This local quality differentiation allows workflow continuity for non-shared data while preventing harmful alterations of shared data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by checking data origin tags and sharing status before allowing modifications. When a user attempts to alter shared patient data, the system detects the shared status through feedback from the data metadata and blocks the alteration, preventing data conflicts while allowing modifications to non-shared data.
3Reliability
If all local data is synchronized with cloud repository, then data consistency is maintained, but synchronization time and network bandwidth are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial synchronization by selectively updating only the necessary data subsets rather than synchronizing all data. Data synchronization is performed based on change detection and priority levels, transferring only modified or critical data between cloud and local repositories, thereby reducing synchronization time and network bandwidth consumption while maintaining consistency for essential data.
Data Source
AI summary
A method to prevent conflict during synchronization of medical data between a cloud repository on a cloud server and a plurality of local repositories on a plurality of local servers of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server is provided. The plurality of local servers includes a first local server and the plurality of local repositories includes a first local repository on the first local server. The method includes, in response to a connection between the first local server and the cloud server getting disconnected, causing the first local server to: access the first local repository instead of the cloud repository, determine whether local data is associated with a shared patient registered with more than one healthcare facility among the healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, and prohibit alteration of the local data if the local data is associated with the shared patient.