DICOM Data Transfer Across Borders With Privacy-Preserving Anonymization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing health data management systems face challenges in transferring patient data across borders while preserving privacy, as different regions have varying regulations that restrict the cross-border transfer of patient health information, limiting access to advanced data analysis capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing cross-border health data that includes receiving DICOM objects from hospital computing devices, generating a unique case identifier, validating and anonymizing the data, updating with the identifier, compressing the data, and sending it to data analysis web services, ensuring patient privacy is maintained by keeping sensitive information within the originating region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If health data is transferred outside the hospital or country for analysis, then access to advanced data analysis capabilities is improved, but patient privacy requirements are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts sensitive health information from the health data before transfer. The system separates identifiable patient information from the clinical data, removing names, addresses, and other PHI elements. This extraction allows the anonymized data to be transferred to external analysis facilities while the extracted sensitive information remains protected within the originating region, thus resolving the contradiction between accessing external analysis capabilities and protecting patient privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the health data into two distinct parts: anonymized clinical data suitable for external analysis and sensitive PHI that remains within the originating region. This segmentation enables different handling of data portions - the anonymized portion can be freely transferred for advanced analysis while the sensitive portion maintains regional protection, thereby resolving the privacy-capability access contradiction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If health data is kept within the originating region, then patient privacy is protected, but access to out-of-region analysis capabilities is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces anonymization as an intermediary process between the health data and external analysis facilities. The anonymization layer acts as a mediator that transforms identifiable health data into anonymized data, enabling transfer to external facilities while maintaining privacy protection. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to simultaneously achieve privacy protection and access to out-of-region analysis capabilities.
3Productivity
If health data is transferred across borders, then advanced analysis services become accessible, but regulatory restrictions are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs anonymization as a preliminary action before data transfer. By removing sensitive information in advance, the system ensures that the transferred data inherently complies with regulatory requirements regardless of destination. This preliminary anonymization action guarantees regulatory compliance while enabling efficient cross-border data transfer for advanced analysis, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for preserving patient privacy while allowing health data to be analyzed, managed, and stored in different geographical areas. One method for managing cross-border health data while preserving patient privacy includes: receiving a DICOM object from a hospital computing device for analysis; generating a unique case identifier for the DICOM object; validating the received DICOM object; if, based on the validation, the received DICOM object is valid, anonymizing the received DICOM object; updating the anonymous DICOM object to include the unique case identifier; compressing the updated DICOM object; and sending the compressed DICOM object to at least one data analysis web service(s).