Please describe your proposed solution
Context
In Cameroon, the management of medical record data faces significant challenges due to a fragmented, centralized, and exploitative system heavily reliant on paper-based methods. Patients often purchase "Carnet medical" / medical booklets where medical transactions are manually recorded. However, many health institutions lack the necessary IT infrastructure to capture and store this data effectively. Even for those with IT systems in place, the data is often centralized, of absent leading to issues related to health safety and the accuracy of prescriptions.
Another critical concern is the lack of a comprehensive view of a patient's medical history, particularly when it comes to allergies. Without access to complete medical records, doctors may inadvertently prescribe medications that could be harmful to their patients.
Moreover, important questions arise regarding the ownership and access rights of medical records. Who truly owns a medical record? Who should have the authority to access it? And how can the security and privacy of this sensitive data be maintained in such a fragmented and exploitative system?
Our General Solution
In order to address these issues, there is an urgent need to shift towards modern, decentralized solutions that prioritize data ownership, security, privacy, and interoperability.
Given the complexity of the whole medical system in Cameroon, we intend to split our proposed solution in 3 core phases that perfectly matches Project Catalyst framework: In this proposal, we will focus on research to prove the viability of our idea / concept. The bulk of our work is research , documentation and white paper production.
During the concept stage, we aim to consolidate our ideas / concepts into a white paper and then a prototype that will describe the ADI-H protocol in its entirety showcasing all possible components and use cases within our platform.
The strategy for the concept stage involves three main steps:
Research and idea consolidation:
The main components of our research will be round answering the questions we mentioned above:
- Who owns the medical record?
- Who has the right to access it?
- How does it remain private and secured?
In order to do so, we will be focusing on the general healthcare record anatomy
Documentation elaboration:
The ultimate goal of our proposal is to produce a white paper detailing the component of the ADI Health Exchange protocol.
We have a basic structure for our white paper already set and it is as follows:
Abstract
I. Introduction
In the scenario where a patient visits a clinic for a check-up, and their medical record is input into the clinic's health information system after a diagnosis and prescription by a doctor, several questions related to ownership and access rights of the medical record arise. Who truly owns this medical record - the patient, the doctor, or the clinic? If there are multiple doctors at the clinic, do they all have the right to access the record? What level of access should medical staff have to this information? How can patients be informed if their sensitive health data is shared or accessed without authorization? Can patients track and monitor who accesses their medical records? How can patients securely share their records with other healthcare facilities while maintaining privacy?
These concerns highlight the challenges surrounding medical record access rights and data privacy in healthcare systems. Despite the presence of health information systems and exchanges, addressing these issues has been more challenging than successful, even in developed countries.
Fortunately, advancements in blockchain technology and zero-knowledge cryptographic protocols offer promising solutions to these challenges. By leveraging a permissionless and autonomous system of smart contracts, immutable rules can be established to grant specific users rights and access to medical records while ensuring data privacy, security, and audit ability.
II. Medical Record Anatomy
Rights
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Stakeholders
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Patient and Healthcare Providers
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Managers and Healthcare Purchasers
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Healthcare Data Purchasers
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Government Regulators
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Components of a Medical Record
1. Identification Information
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2. Medical History
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3. Family History
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4. Treatment History
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5. Clinic Notes
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6. Medication Information
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7. Physician's Personal Notes
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8. Diagnostic Results
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9. Medical Directives
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10.Financial Information
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11. Consent Forms
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III. ADI User-Centricity
Patient-Centric Model
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User-Centric Model: Beyond the Patient
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IV. ADI Use Cases
Health Information Exchange (HIE)
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Medical Record Marketplace
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Sellers: Record Stakeholders (Patients, Health Facilities)
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Buyers: Pharmaceutical Companies, Research Institutes
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Marketplace Proper
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Medical Loans
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V. Components
Identities
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Mechanisms and Concepts
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Records Access Management
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Mechanisms and Concepts
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Tokens of ADI
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VI. Implementation
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VII. Staking
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VIII. DAO
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IX. Conclusion
The bulk of our reaesch will result in completing the structure above.