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Proceedings ArticleDOI

Maintaining Security and Privacy of Patient Information

01 Aug 2006-pp 4690-4690
TL;DR: A presentation and discussion today will address some of the detail of this security and the issues yet to be faced in protecting medical and patient information.
Abstract: As the global Internet evolves into today's more highly mobile and broadband service offerings, it is anticipated that the applications of new services to support telemedicine and eHealth operations using these offerings will result in increasing healthcare benefits for all and generally a lower cost. The one concern that must be addressed when making these changes is to ensure that security technology keeps up with the changes and provides the means by which satisfaction of HIPAA's privacy regulations can be assured. Consider the application of Wireless Communications in connecting medical professionals and patients through the ubiquitous web access arrangements. New products offered to patients and physicians alike are capable of transmitting vital signs, key blood test results for diabetics, blood pressure data, as well as the higher data requirements of X-Rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, CAT scans, and more. But now things are changing. Cell phones, hotspots (802.11 access arrangements) offer opportunities for others to intercept private information if not protected adequately. Today's security offering for wireless hotspots such as the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) offers some security and privacy but it is known to be broken and useful only temporarily and not for protection of vital medical information protection. Currently, chips are being developed that will offer a much stronger protection for personal wireless networks. This recommended standard, referred to as 802.11i's WPA, is already supported within the Microsoft XP Operating System, and it will be enhanced and approved shortly by the latest recommended version of the standard offering WPA2 - for enterprise applications. The final version of 802.11i (WPA2) addresses practically all the vulnerabilities of WEP and more. However, now things are changing once more. A wideband wireless capability that in all likelihood will supercede WIFI within the next five years will allow up to 75 Mbps data transfer rates and support connections to systems in the range of 30 miles or more under the right conditions. In addition, speeding ambulances and cars traveling at speeds in excess of 70 MPH will be more readily capable of interfacing at the higher data rates WIMAX, the much-awaited technology that is expected to provide wireless broadband services on a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) scale is going to be the next wave of evolution (802.16). Once more, as was the case for WIFI, where is the security? Will the WIFi security offerings support that needed at these higher rates? All of this is yet to be assured. Thus privacy is once again of concern if the standards are not adequate. As planned however, it is my understanding that the new WPA2 will support both WiFi and WIMax security needs. As technology evolves, security must evolve. And if the manufacturers of products can settle on non-proprietary representative devices to support the needs of the medical field, then all will be fine. If they can't, or won't, then delays will occur. My presentation and discussion today will address some of the detail of this security and the issues yet to be faced in protecting medical and patient information
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper provides a systematic review of technological growth in eHealth services and analyzes the role of four important technologies, namely, satellite, internet, mobile, and cloud for providing health services.
Abstract: The infusion of information communication technology (ICT) into health services is emerging as an active area of research. It has several advantages but perhaps the most important one is providing medical benefits to one and all irrespective of geographic boundaries in a cost effective manner, providing global expertise and holistic services, in a time bound manner. This paper provides a systematic review of technological growth in eHealth services. The present study reviews and analyzes the role of four important technologies, namely, satellite, internet, mobile, and cloud for providing health services.

40 citations


Cites background from "Maintaining Security and Privacy of..."

  • ...Articles [11, 75, 133] focus on the integration ofmobile and Internet technologies for better delivery of health services....

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Journal Article
TL;DR: This paper explores recently identified privacy and security issues that affect telemedicine, feature threats on security and authentication of medical records, and propose digital watermarking as a technology to curb authentication issues in telemedics.
Abstract: An Advancement in telecommunication combined with improved information infrastructures has opened up new dimensions in e-health environment Such technologies make readily available to access, store, manipulate and replicate medical information and images These technologies help reduce the time and effort in diagnosis and treatment at lower cost However, protection and authentication of such medical information and images are now becoming increasingly important in telemedicine environment, where images are readily distributed over electronic networks Intruders/hackers may gain access to confidential information, and possible alter or even delete such vital records The ultimate success of telemedicine demands an effective technology as well as privacy and security of records should be main concern This paper explores recent identified privacy and security issues that affect telemedicine by featuring threats on security and authentication of medical records Various technological methods of protecting telemedicine information were explored It was found that Digital watermarking has more advantages over other schemes Hence, Digital watermarking was proposed to curb privacy and security issues in telemedicine

13 citations


Cites background from "Maintaining Security and Privacy of..."

  • ...The technology has grown to advanced imaging technologies and gamma cameras with higher data requirements that can be used to transfer data and images such as CT Scanners, MRIs, PET-CT, C-Arms, Mammography, X-Rays, Bone Densitometers, Radiographic and urology systems [1]....

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Proceedings ArticleDOI
14 Oct 2008
TL;DR: This research contemplates the security mechanisms based on digital certificates applied to a pilot telemedicine network, that guarantees the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the medical information of the patients for the hospitable centers involved.
Abstract: The medical patient's information is private and extremely sensitive. This information has to be stored and transmitted carefully because it can be exposed to a series of threats and it is necessary to be protected. This research contemplates the security mechanisms based on digital certificates applied to a pilot telemedicine network, that guarantees the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the medical information of the patients for the hospitable centers involved. The prototype telemedicine network will interconnect hospitals in the municipalities of Baruta and Hatillo Miranda State, in Venezuela by Internet, to provide and support a health care system in inaccessible areas, and the transmission of patient's biomedical signals and the health education to people through secure mechanisms such as digital certificates.

12 citations


Cites background from "Maintaining Security and Privacy of..."

  • ...Through videoconference and some medical instruments adapted to this propose, could let doctors make a diagnosis to the patients, share information with the local doctor, listen to the heartbeat with a remote stethoscope, analyze images and examine various organs of the human body [1, 2]....

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01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: Tele-medicine allows making a wide variety of medical procedures such as health screening, diagnosis procedures, and treatment supervision in a remote way by using IT resources such as computers, servers, image processing equipments, Internet, and communication networks.
Abstract: Tele-medicine allows making a wide variety of medical procedures such as health screening, diagnosis procedures, and treatment supervision in a remote way by using IT resources such as computers, servers, image processing equipments, Internet, and communication networks.

4 citations


Cites background from "Maintaining Security and Privacy of..."

  • ...La información médica que se maneja y en Telemedicina, es en general de tipo confidencial y por lo tanto, requiere resguardarse de ataques y amenazas que puedan afectar el derecho a la intimidad, la privacidad y la protección de los datos de los pacientes [5]....

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14 Dec 2010
TL;DR: This paper describes the implementation of security platform based on Digital Certificates using open source software to protect the confidentiality and centralized access control of the Telemedicine Network of Centro Medico Docente La Trinidad and 14 rural health centers located in the Municipalities Baruta and El Hatillo in Venezuela.
Abstract: This paper describes the implementation of security platform based on Digital Certificates using open source software to protect the confidentiality and centralized access control of the Telemedicine Network of Centro Medico Docente La Trinidad (CMDLT) and 14 rural health centers located in the Municipalities Baruta and El Hatillo in Venezuela and Simon Bolivar University (USB). The security mechanisms of information to be considered in this study are Virtual Private Networks (VPN), User Authentication through Digital Certificates and the Centralized Management of accounts and privileges access of the Web telemedicine system, in order to guarantee the confidentiality of patient's medical information transmitted through the telemedicine network. The OpenVPN, OpenLDAP, Apache Web server and PHP programming language were the software used on the operative system Debian[1].

4 citations