Obfuscated Health Data Access Using Role-Based Representations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data processing systems face challenges in providing secure access to protected health information while complying with regulations like the HHS Privacy Rule, making it difficult to derive insights from sensitive health data without disclosing private information.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate obfuscated data with alternative representations of raw data, assign user permissions, and use credential managers to determine access levels, presenting only authorized obfuscated data to users, thereby maintaining privacy and allowing insight generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If raw health data is made accessible to users, then data utility and insight generation are improved, but privacy protection and compliance with HIPAA Privacy Rule deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments health data into multiple alternative representations (e.g., raw data, obfuscated data, aggregated data) and assigns different access permissions to each segment based on user roles. This allows researchers to access aggregated data for epidemiological insights while preventing access to identifiable patient information, thus resolving the contradiction between data utility and privacy protection
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements local quality by providing different data representations tailored to specific user needs and permission levels. Researchers receive obfuscated or aggregated data suitable for public health analysis, while clinicians may access more detailed data. This localized approach maintains data utility for research while protecting privacy through selective disclosure
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple alternative representations of data are generated, then data accessibility for different user roles is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-generating and storing multiple alternative representations of health data (raw, obfuscated, aggregated) in advance. When users authenticate and submit data requests, the system retrieves pre-prepared data representations rather than transforming data in real-time, reducing computational complexity while maintaining adaptability to different user roles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (data processing system) between data sources and users that manages the complexity of data transformation and access control. This intermediary generates and assigns appropriate data representations based on user permissions, shielding users from system complexity while providing tailored data access
3Object-affected harmful factors
If access control and permission verification are implemented, then privacy protection is improved, but data retrieval time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and permission verification when users first access the system. User roles and permission levels are established in advance, allowing rapid data retrieval during subsequent requests without repeated verification delays, thus maintaining privacy protection while minimizing time loss
Data Source
AI summary
Obfuscated data comprising a plurality of alternative representations of raw data can be generated. At least one user, or at least one group of users, can be assigned to portions of the alternative representations of the raw data. Responsive to a user authenticating with a credential manager, a permission level of the user of the user can be determined. Responsive to the user submitting a data request, whether the data request requests raw data the user is not authorized to access can be determined. Responsive to determining that the data request requests raw data the user is not authorized to access, at least a portion of the obfuscated data the user is authorized to access can be presented to the user. The portion of the obfuscated data can include at least one plurality of alternative representations of the raw data.