Accessing an existing virtual electronic patient record with a secure wireless architecture

Abstract

Virtual electronic patient records (VEPR) enable the integration and sharing of healthcare information within large and heterogeneous organizations by aggregating known data elements about patients from different information systems in real-time. However, healthcare professionals need to access a terminal every time they treat a patient. This may not be trivial as computers are not available around every corner of big healthcare institutions. The use of wireless technology can improve and fasten healthcare treatment because it can bring information and decision to the point of care allowing also for healthcare professionals' mobility. However, as healthcare information is of a very sensitive nature, it has to comply with important security requirements. The wireless technology makes it more difficult for these requirements to be achieved as it is harder to control disruptions and attempts to access information can be more common and less simple to detect. The main objective of this chapter is to model, develop and evaluate (e.g. in terms of efficiency, complexity, impact and against network attacks) a proposal for a secure wireless architecture in order to access a VEPR. This VEPR is being used within a university hospital by more than 1,000 doctors, on a daily basis. Its users would greatly benefit if this service would be extended to a wider part of the hospital and not only to their workstation, achieving this way faster and greater mobility in the treatment of their patients. © 2009, IGI Global.