Detailed System Scope Document: Blockchain-Based MedRec System

This document provides a comprehensive system scope document for a blockchain-based MedRec system, addressing the business problem of inefficient healthcare record management. It outlines the statement of purpose, which is to provide an effective electronic health record (EHR) solution. The report details the benefits of the proposed system, including cost and time savings, enhanced efficiency, decentralization, and improved security of patient data. It also highlights the system's capabilities, such as managing records from various health organizations and achieving consumer awareness and involvement. The document references relevant sources and emphasizes the system's potential to transform the healthcare sector by reducing operational costs, eliminating errors, and improving healthcare practices. The MedRec system aims to provide a secure and efficient way to manage medical records, benefiting both healthcare providers and patients by improving access to information and enhancing the quality of care.

DEVELOP A SYSTEM SCOPE
DOCUMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Business problem.............................................................................................................................1
Statement of purpose .......................................................................................................................1
Benefits of proposed system ...........................................................................................................1
System capabilities and required achievements ..............................................................................2
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................3

BUSINESS PROBLEM
With increasing awareness for health and the role of digital technologies, patients are
becoming more concerned about accessing their health records. It is vital for them because
medical history helps the health care professionals to provide them better treatment. A minor
error in managing these records can be severe threat for the life of patients (Ekblaw and Azaria,
2016). Various health organisations manage these records with their separate management
system and have higher probability of errors. When these records are referred for future
assistance in medical diagnosis then these mistakes can result in inaccurate analysis of
individual's. The lack of efficient management system also make it difficult for the health
professionals to provide appropriate care to the seekers. When they are unaware about the past
treatment ledger of the people then, the incomplete knowledge can results in the severe
complications. It is very tough for the patient's to correctly describe the actual analysis of them
so a centralised management system will help them to resolve the issue.
Thus, both patients and health care providers are unable to meet this demand of record
sharing. It is creating a great problem for health regulating organisations and patients to have
inability to access their medical history even when the most innovative advancements are
available in medical science. Despite developments, these businesses are having challenges to
use decentralise system which can maintain the records of medications and treatements of
individuals. The problem remains unsolved because some issues such as privacy of both patients
and health care providers, threats of disclosing medical identity, challenges of physician and
legal implications are always in the wake of demotivating solutions (Angraal Krumholz and
Schulz, 2017).
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
This system scope document addresses various aspects of Blockchain based MedRec
system. This management tool can provide the effective solution in the form of electronic health
records (EHR). This document will explore benefits and scope of MedRec along with its
capabilities. It will also consider the challenges associated with the implementation of this
system. The major purpose of this system is to resolve concerns which acts as barrier in
development of decentralised EHR.
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BENEFITS OF PROPOSED SYSTEM
The foremost benefit of MedRec is that it will allow health service providers to update
details of patient's at once only without making multiple repeatations. It enables them to provide
related information to their patients’ anytime without getting panic by searching them in physical
records. Thus, this new system is cost and time saving. It enhances the efficiency of
professionals by quickly resolving queries of their customers. With the Blockchain prototype,
MedRec is able to provide a system based on decentralisation (How blockchain healthcare is
advancing the management of medical records, 2018). It means that each health provider of the
patient has a separate copy and thus he/she can easily validate the transactions. It is also effective
in avoiding errors thus it can provide more accuracy in managing the records.
The biggest concern among patients is that the digital record of their health care data is
highly vulnerable to networking threats. MedRec ensures that digital records of individuals are
secure and accessible to only desired individuals with consent of patient's. The EHR will aid
health professionals to develop improved understanding of the clinical reasoning. It will
minimise possibility of clinical or medication error which are quite common and causes huge
losses to healthcare seekers (Azaria and et.al., 2016). This system is also encouraging patients to
improve their participation in these practices. The consumer partnership in healthcare is one of
the greatest benefit of this system. This awareness helps authorities to improve quality of health
services.
SYSTEM CAPABILITIES AND REQUIRED ACHIEVEMENTS
MedRec system is one of the effective solutions for growing need of healthcare services.
The system is capable to manage records from various health organisations so that individuals
can access them on single click without getting trouble to access those records of years back. It is
also not possible for organisations to manage records for several years with manual approaches.
Because their maintenance and security arrangements will cause unnecessary cost burden on
them. Thus, MedRec system with Blockchain is highly capable to solve these concerns by
providing effective solutions for security and implementation challenges.
The system is highly capable to bring transformation in health sector for both service
providers and patients. Organisations can get benefits by reducing their operational cost,
increasing effectiveness and eliminating errors. At the minimum level, this system is capable to
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achieve goals for creating awareness among consumers to increase their involvement with health
professionals (Dhillon, Metcalf and Hooper, 2017). Thus, it can easily achieve health
improvement targets with improved efficiency in healthcare practices.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Angraal, S., Krumholz, H.M. and Schulz, W.L., 2017. Blockchain technology: applications in
health care.Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 10(9). p. e003800.
Azaria, A., Ekblaw, A., and et.al., 2016, August. Medrec: Using blockchain for medical data
access and permission management. In Open and Big Data (OBD), International
Conference on (pp. 25-30). IEEE.
Dhillon, V., Metcalf, D. and Hooper, M., 2017. Blockchain in Health Care. In Blockchain
Enabled Applications (pp. 125-138). Apress, Berkeley, CA.
Ekblaw, A. and Azaria, A., 2016. MedRec: Medical Data Management on the Blockchain. Viral
Communications.
Online
How blockchain healthcare is advancing the management of medical records, 2018 [Online]
Accessed through <https://mobilebusinessinsights.com/2018/05/how-blockchain-
healthcare-is-advancing-the-management-of-medical-records/>
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