MediBloc: Improving healthcare data while giving the individual control
Preface and Problem Statement
Therefore it holds that as important as health is, so is the human's medical record. A heart attack a year ago, some grave migraine months back or kidney failure yesterday, medical records are indispensable to the continued assurance of care for a patient as well as important in the comprehensive understanding of an individual's medical history. Hitherto, the picture of what medical records entailed was, rooms after rooms, filled with papers in hospitals. That however, has changed and given way to electronic medical records. Yet still, the storms facing healthcare data, their accessibility, comprehensibility and availability are far from being weathered (or so it was because an adequate solution is here, Medibloc). The medical data problem was captured succinctly thus;
It's crazy to me that in this world of electronic medical records Walmart has so much information about how we shop, but no one has that information about our health. Why can't my doctor say, 'Wow, Anne, based on your lifestyle and behavior, you're five years from being diabetic.' But I can go to Target, and they know exactly what I'm going to buy.--Anne Wojcicki.
The current centralized storage of medical and health records is mainly responsible for the prevention of the holistic understanding of the medical status of patients as well as the subsequent diminished quality of patient care, hence if you once had a fever and visited Hopkins, such medical history would not be available when you visit an entirely different hospital for a different reason. This situation is not helped by the fact that medical laws have restricted health data to be only obtainable by patients,taking other health institutions entirely out of the equation. Therefore, while demand for medical data increases exponentially, there is a pitiable lack of such reliable data. Hardly desirable!
Furthermore, under the current centralized systems of medical data storage, there is absolutely no guarantee for the security and integrity of patient health records. This is very well evident in the growing number of health data breaches. In 2017, Arkansas Oral Facial Surgery Center was hit by a cyber attack that shut the medical center out of files, medical images and details of patient visits. The virus encrypted x-ray images and other sensitive files and documents containing patient data. This attack however, is one out of many. In this situation therefore, individuals cannot autonomously utilize their medical data and are constantly exposed to an ever growing risk of sensitive personal health data leakage.
MediBloc: Revolutionizing Medical Data Storage and Use
The MediBloc through the priceless instrumentality of the blockchain, is an open source medical and healthcare data platform. MediBloc would disrupt and greatly enhance the way electronic medical data has been hitherto managed through advantages only affordable by decentralization. Instead of individual medical data being scattered and rendered inaccessible across various healthcare institutions that such individual had visited, Medibloc compiles a complete indexed history of all patient medical information. Patients can therefore authoritatively manage all their medical information so collected and indexed. This way, personal medical records of individuals can only be accessed by third parties such as research institutions and other individuals only upon consent hence Medibloc affords individuals ownership and control over their records, a privilege that was quite nonexistent. Medibloc would also enable software engineers and developers to build new services upon the platform which will ultimately drive innovations in the healthcare market.
The mission statement of the MediBloc Team is quite understandably to: "improve healthcare access and experience by redistributing personal healthcare data, accelerating the world's shift to private information decentralization".
A new, better system for healthcare data management
Several attempts have been made to liberate and analyze the current health record systems used by large medical institutions. It has been very difficult hence health records serve multiple, different entities which have their differing goals and aspirations. In order to overcome the barriers posed by current medical record systems, there has to be a paradigm shift in the system itself. Exactly what Medibloc offers. Medibloc therefore utilizes the blockchain which itself is a symbol of dramatic change from centralization to re-envision healthcare data systems and subsequently make them consumer-centered. Thus, it will provide to the individual an ideal platform for Personal Health Record that brings with it transparent and reliable dataset for medical records.
Medibloc, much superior to current centralized electronic medical data systems, is characterised by the following;
Maximum security of data
The collection and storage of health data through centralized means by healthcare institutions themselves involves the handling of such sensitive personal information by personnel who ultimately have access to such data. This brings about risks of leaks arising even from mistakes. MediBloc would mitigate such risks by taking the rights to ownership of individual health data from the big corporations and medical institutions which currently control them and vest those rights in the individuals themselves. Through the blockchain, patients themselves will be able to access and decrypt their encrypted data and they themselves would also have the right to share such. As such, with Medibloc, data breaches would be a thing of the past.
Higher Reliability
Have you ever gone to the hospital and for some reason or the other your previous data cannot be found? This is an all too common experience which Medibloc solves. The decentralized storing of patient health data as well as frequent back up of data plus the verification of the integrity of data after modulations would ensure that patient health data are always reliably available anywhere, anytime.
Transparency Unmatched
Currently, it is very difficult to track where and how patient data are being used. Massive data could be sold by health institutions without anyone knowing as much as a thing about such shady deals. Medibloc however, would record the activity of those who copy, add to or access such information as stored on its blockchain, Medibloc would also provide information as to when, where or how such information was used. Transparency at its peak! Exploitation of healthcare information is thereby being summarily sent to the gallows by Medibloc.
Higher levels of accessibility to health data
Consider this: I can go to Antarctica and get cash from an ATM without a glitch, but should I fall ill during my travels, a hospital there could not access my medical records or know what medications I am on. --Nathan Deal
The opinion expressed by Nathan Deal in his quote above is quite understandable, while one can get cash wherever he goes, health data which is information just as important as cash has not been readily available for patients, the consequences of which can be disastrous in the event of emergencies. Medibloc solves this problem as a patient's health data is stored on a decentralized database which can be made readily available anywhere including Antarctica in Nathan's case. Such vital information can therefore, through the instrumentality of Medibloc be readily made available to anybody including medical practitioners as the need arises.
Healthcare information system that is patient-centered
MediBloc is a healthcare data management system built for the patient. It therefore allows for even such data generated by the patient through the use of wearables and some other health monitoring devices to be integrated and stored in MediBloc. This integrated health data can then be used for such purposes as treatment at healthcare centers and personalized mobile healthcare services.
While adding value to all stakeholders in the health data industry, Medibloc also makes available advantages to each of them, advantages which are priceless and which would improve the health sector as a whole.
Better Quality Care from Healthcare Providers
With the holistic view of a patients medical history and data that can only be afforded through Medibloc, healthcare providers can reduce medical error and deliver healthcare that is needed and best for the patient.
Accelerating Innovation in Healthcare
Medibloc makes for easier access to health data of all categories. These of course would only be available through the consent of the generators of such data. Researchers can therefore make breakthroughs at a faster pace because of the availability of large healthcare data wrought through the instrumentality of Medibloc.
Monetary gain and time saving for the patients
source: medibloc website
While patients hitherto barely had access to their health data, Medibloc puts it right back into their palms. Not only that, individuals can sell such data to willing buyers such as researchers.
Competitive Advantages of Medibloc over other solutions
As already pretty much evident from the foregoing, Medibloc completely tramples upon every other healthcare data management solution yet available anywhere both in legacy based electronic health records and even other blockchain based electronic health records. Other blockchain based solutions may guarantee security and other advantages inherent in decentralization but they do not offer zero costs for data storage and management as well as unlimited potentials for development.
An illustration of MediBloc's competitive advantages. Source: MediBloc Presskit
The Medibloc Tokenomy
source: Medibloc whitepaper
MediBloc will issue Medi Token, a Qtum-based ERC-20 compliant token. The Medi Token plays a vital role as the main source of socio-economic exchange on the MediBloc platform. The Medi Token is critical to the functioning of the MediBloc ecosystem, hence it is only through it that the various stakeholders ranging from general users, healthcare providers and researchers can interact with the services offered by the platform. The MediBloc platform will also use Medi Points, a point based system which measures participation within the platform and accords reputations accordingly.
The Medi Token (MED) is however, different from the Medi Point in that it allows for exchange between users in the platform and those out of it while the Medi Point (MP) can only be used within the platform. MED and MP can be used to pay for the cost of exchanging data and information, and for all services associated with the platform, supporting the socio-economic ecosystem of MediBloc.
Use Cases
Case One (1): Easy Access to and Transfer of Health Data
Bobby is the Chief Executive Officer of Bobmex Solutions Ltd. Bobby started feeling sick the week before and did some tests and an X-ray, the results of which were imputed through the MediBloc platform. Now Bobby is to travel on an impromptu executive visit to South Korea, Bobby is not even bothered because through the instrumentality of Medibloc, such results would be easily accessed by Hanyang University Medical Center and he would receive treatment based on such tests and the holistic overview his health status as would be portrayed by MediBloc. Cool!
Case Two (2): Lifestyle Data Used to cut costs
Ben has been living quite a life disastrous to his health. He just discovered that with MediBloc, he stands a chance to live a healthy life while cutting costs. He therefore engages the Withings Blood Pressure device which measures his blood pressure as well as the steps he takes weekly. Pebble time monitors his sleeping habits while the Huray's Chronic disease managing app records his blood glucose level and insulin injection record. In the end Ben is able to lower insurance premium by proving healthy habit. Ben smiles, he should have known about MediBloc years ago he thinks.
Case Three (3): Reassurance through Social Networking
Mark has been been infected with HIV/AIDs, he has been so dejected and downcast. He even attempted suicide a month ago, save that he was rescued by a neighbor. Mark finally registered on MediBloc and met a special community of HIV patients created by MediBloc. Mark learns that most of them live healthy lives and he is motivated by their words and life, Medical researchers on HIV/AIDs have also counseled him and he finally feels better about himself.
Partnerships
Alone, we can do so little, together we can do so much.-Helen Keller
Partnerships are an important aspect of success. Medibloc has therefore already liaised with several great entities, who together with them, can do so much to revolutionize the healthcare data industry.
source: Medibloc Whitepaper
The Team
A project of Medibloc's quality can only possess a team so experienced and dedicated and a team that is no stranger to the medical field as well as its challenges. Dr. Allen Wookyun Kho is Co-Founder, a lead software engineer at Samsung Electronics and a Dental Surgeon. Talk about versatility. Dr. Eunsol Lee is also Co-founder and the Chief System Architect.
source: Medibloc Mediakit
Project RoadMap
Medibloc has already started the implementation of their roadmap, the following image shows the current stage and future developments with the MediBloc basic platform to be ready by Decemeber, 2018.
source: Medibloc Presskit
For more information, check out this quick video
More information sources:
- MediBloc Website
- MediBloc WhitePaper (ENG)
- MediBloc FAQ
- MediBloc About ( Contains Media Kit With Various Graphics!
- MediBloc Medium
- MediBloc Twitter
- MediBloc Facebook
- MediBloc Github
- MediBloc Telegram
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