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Blockchain Technology In Healthcare Could Ease PHI Exchange

Blockchain has recently become a common buzzword in health IT circles. The technology first gained popularity as part of the digital currency bitcoin, but the thought of using PHI blockchain for healthcare may be concerning, since bitcoins have been the preferred payment method for ransomware attacks.Blockchain technology is based on an open-source solution developed to run on commodity hardware. Blockchain distributes transactions across many nodes all over the network, without having to centralize any data. This eliminates the need to set an individual or entity as the single administrator of the shared information. The network also secures the data by encrypting it during transport and at rest.A valuable capability blockchain offers is that an algorithm evaluates and verifies data based on agreed-upon rules. Once accepted, the new or changed information is immediately replicated over the network to other nodes. This makes it more resilient and disaster-proof in case some nodes are corrupted or offline.Since the information is distributed across a network, and is properly validated and secured, blockchain has become an ideal solution for enterprise applications. Increased interest and investment in blockchain by technology companies have resulted in several of its application in markets such as supply chains, shipping, financial institutions, and the public sector.There is an interest in blockchain technology in healthcare as a way to solve common PHI exchange challenges and insurance claim processing. However, there is still some resistance, as well as a lack of widespread adoption, since it is still considered new.Despite the hesitation, many healthcare executives see the potential of blockchain data exchange as it offers the ability to make health data more accessible to more entities while reducing the cost of centralizing it. Blockchain can also be used for HIPAA compliance since the data is encrypted and replicated across the network.Once understood and implemented in the correct way blockchain technology and healthcare can work in tandem. In an ideal world, health data would be shared across the distributed network and would be accessible to approved individuals or entities. However, there is no one participant in the blockchain network that would be able to host and store patient data, such as medical images or test results.When used in Bitcoin or shipping, blockchain works with small sets of structured data. Healthcare is complex and deals with a wide variety of data formats, such as videos, images, and structured and semi-structured data, to represent a personal health record.A research paper published on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) website highlights how medical blockchain can be used to maintain the links where medical record components are stored, as well as the user controls associated with them while avoiding the need to store actual medical data within the blockchain network. The research paper also explains the details of the application and its design considerations.The interest in blockchain also encouraged ONC to hold a competition to determine possible uses for blockchain technology in healthcare. ONC chose 15 winning proposals out of 70 submissions. The proposals included:
  • Claims processing;
  • Clinical research data exchange;
  • Patient PHI links; and
  • Patient-reported outcome measures.
Whether blockchain is used to offer an alternate and efficient method of processing personal health information, and transactions, or to help overcome interoperability challenges, having access to an open-source platform that has proven to be a solution for processing vast amounts of data securely provides a wide range of possibilities.

An electrical power management system (EPMS) is an electronic system that provides fine-grained information about the flow of power in an electrical power generation system or power substation.

What is an EPMS System?

EPMS record and provide data about power systems and power-related events. That information is used to manage power generation efficiencies, batteries and capacitor banks, gas or steam turbine relays, and other systems in power generation stations and power substations. EPMS systems can visually display real-time or historical data. The system ties together the essential data that formerly had to be checked on numerous readouts and gauges by equipment operators. Supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) systems often use EPMS ERP software, especially those used in power plants.

Besides power generation stations, electrical power management systems can be found in manufacturing plants, on large ships’ generators, and in similar high-power demand locations. Some EPMS are their own systems, while others integrate with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and yet others are hybrid systems.

EPMS that include generator protection and control (GPC) relays and those that are integrated with SCADA can automate many power-related relays. This control helps increase power efficiency, especially in times of high draw. Some products claim they can help reduce peak power draw by 50%. Applied to the power grid, this reduction could theoretically alleviate concerns of a power crisis resulting from peak demand.

Better power management is helpful in terms of smoothing power demands. Smoothing out peak and low demand is often very beneficial and lower in cost as the problem in energy systems is often not that overall average power is too high but that peak draw times exceed momentary power production.

Having EPMS ERP software will help in determining the usage in various countries like North America.

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The subject matter at SVAM can help you in defining the needs of your business and give you the right EPMS ERP software to integrate into the system. At SVAM International, we employ the best practices in the industry, combine them with the latest technology of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and provide our clients with improved visibility, efficiency, and overall intelligence across their organizations.

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