Immutable Ledger Workflow for Patient Sample Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The medical context presents unique privacy concerns for specimen tracking, as individually identifiable health information must be protected in compliance with regulations like HIPAA, preventing the use of public ledgers for health information related to patient specimens.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of immutable-ledger-based workflow management systems that utilize unique sample identifiers and record interactions involving these identifiers in an immutable ledger, such as a blockchain or directed acyclic graph, while ensuring privacy by restricting access and encrypting sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a public ledger is used for tracking patient specimens, then tracking transparency and immutability are improved, but patient privacy and compliance with regulations like HIPAA deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments patient information into two categories: identifiers (stored privately) and hashes (stored publicly on the ledger). This segmentation allows the system to maintain transparency through hash verification while protecting patient privacy by never exposing actual patient data on the public ledger.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hash functions as an intermediary between patient identifiers and the public ledger. The hash acts as a mediator that provides verifiable tracking information without revealing sensitive patient data, thus resolving the conflict between transparency and privacy.
2Measurement precision
If all patient information is recorded in the immutable ledger, then tracking accuracy is improved, but data security and privacy protection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a cryptographic copy (hash) of the patient identifier and stores it on the public ledger instead of the original identifier. This copy provides sufficient information for tracking and verification while being irreversible and unable to reveal the original patient data, thus maintaining accuracy without exposure risk.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a private ledger is used to protect patient privacy, then patient confidentiality is improved, but system transparency and verification capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments information into private identifiers and public hashes, placing different types of data in different locations (private database vs. public ledger). This segmentation maintains both privacy protection and tracking visibility by making appropriate information available in each location.
Solution Approach 2:
The hash stored on the public ledger serves multiple functions: it provides tracking visibility, enables verification of specimen handling, protects patient privacy, and maintains auditability. This multi-functional element resolves the trade-off between privacy and transparency.
Data Source
AI summary
Blockchain-based workflow management for patient samples. In an embodiment, for each of a plurality of first devices, a request for a unique sample identifier is received from the first device, and, in response to the request, the unique sample identifier is generated and sent to the first device. Then, for each of a plurality of second devices and for each of a plurality of interactions, interaction information is received from the second device, a transaction is generated from the interaction information, and the transaction is recorded in an immutable ledger. The interaction information may comprise a unique sample identifier, a user identifier, a location, an event type, and a timestamp.