Online electronic health record

• US 9,886,594 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pennar Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pennar Software Corporation
• Inventors: Chaganti, Naren, Chaganti, Sitapathi Rao, Chaganti, Damayanti
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US14/614,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Described herein are ways to establish a secure online health record for storing health information of one of a plurality of patients in a multi-user repository established on a server computer system and accessible via a client computer. Authorized users of the server computer systems may read and update a patient'"'"'s health information based on authority given to them by the patient. Scope of such authorization may be determined by an authorization key that the authorized user provides to the server computer system, which may also allow access to the patient'"'"'s health information in case of a medical emergency.

Claims

1. A method comprising the following method steps performed by a server computer system:

establish accounts for each of a plurality of users;

receive from the client computer the first user'"'"'s medical information;

if the first user does not have an account with the server computer system, then establish an account for the first user;

store in the first user'"'"'s account an indication of the first user'"'"'s medical information;

receive, from a second user, an update to the first user'"'"'s medical information, the second user being authorized by the first user to make such update to the first user'"'"'s medical information;

verify the identity of the second user;

receive approval or disapproval for the update from one or more users registered with the server computer system;

store identifying information of the one or more users who approved or disapproved the update to the first user'"'"'s medical information;

store the updated first user'"'"'s medical information; and

automatically send the updated first user'"'"'s medical information to a designated requester.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user is verified using a first authentication mechanism and a second authenticating mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving an authorization key from the second user,

wherein the authorization key includes encoded attributes that specify one or more scopes of authorization; and

wherein the authorization key is configured such that, when the authorization key is presented to the server computer by the second user, the server computer determines, based on the attributes encoded in the authorization key, a first scope of authorization given to the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first scope of authorization defines a subset of the first user'"'"'s medical information that the second user is permitted to access or update.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first scope of authorization includes permitting emergency access to the first user'"'"'s medical information.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first scope of authorization is determined by comparing a security level associated with the second user with a security level associated with the first user'"'"'s medical information to which access is sought.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the authorization key is in an encrypted form.

8. A server computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said one or more processor readable storage devices, the processor readable code being configured to instruct the one or more processors to;

establish accounts for each of a plurality of users;

receive from the client computer the first user'"'"'s medical information;

if the first user does not have an account with the server computer system, then establish an account for the first user;

store in the first user'"'"'s account an indication of the first user'"'"'s medical information;

receive, from a second user, an update to the first user'"'"'s medical information, the second user being authorized by the first user to make such update to the first user'"'"'s medical information;

verify the identity of the second user;

receive approval or disapproval for the update from one or more users registered with the server computer system;

store identifying information of the one or more users who approved or disapproved the update to the first user'"'"'s medical information;

store the updated first user'"'"'s medical information; and

automatically send the updated first user'"'"'s medical information to a designated requester.

9. The server computer system of claim 8, wherein the second user is verified using a first authentication mechanism and a second authenticating mechanism.

10. The server computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor readable code is further configured to instruct the one or more processors to:

receive an authorization key from the second user,

wherein the authorization key includes encoded attributes that specify one or more scopes of authorization; and

wherein the authorization key is configured such that, when the authorization key is presented to the server computer by the second user, the server computer determines, based on the attributes encoded, a first scope of authorization given to the second user.

11. The server computer system of claim 10, wherein the first scope of authorization defines a subset of the first user'"'"'s medical information that the second user is permitted to access or modify.

12. The server computer system of claim 10, wherein the first scope of authorization includes permitting emergency access to the first user'"'"'s medical information.

13. The server computer system of claim 10, wherein the first scope of authorization is determined by comparing a security level associated with the second user with a security level associated with the first user'"'"'s medical information to which access is sought.

14. The server computer system of claim 10, wherein the authorization key is in an encrypted form.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said one or more processor readable storage devices, the processor readable code being configured to instruct one or more processors to;

establish accounts for each of a plurality of users;

receive from the client computer the first user'"'"'s medical information;

if the first user does not have an account with the server computer system, then establish an account for the first user;

store in the first user'"'"'s account an indication of the first user'"'"'s medical information;

receive, from a second user, an update to the first user'"'"'s medical information, the second user being authorized by the first user to make such update to the first user'"'"'s medical information;

verify the identity of the second user;

receive approval or disapproval for the update from one or more users registered with the server computer system;

store identifying information of the one or more users who approved or disapproved the update to the first user'"'"'s medical information;

store the updated first user'"'"'s medical information; and

automatically send the updated first user'"'"'s medical information to a designated requester.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second user is verified using a first authentication mechanism and a second authenticating mechanism.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor readable code is further configured to instruct the one or more processors to:

receive an authorization key from the second user,

wherein the authorization key includes encoded attributes that specify one or more scopes of authorization; and

wherein the authorization key is configured such that, when the authorization key is presented to the server computer by the second user, the server computer determines, based on the attributes encoded, a first scope of authorization given to the second user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first scope of authorization defines a subset of the first user'"'"'s medical information that the second user is permitted to access or update.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first scope of authorization includes permitting emergency access to the first user'"'"'s medical information.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first scope of authorization is determined by comparing a security level associated with the second user with a security level associated with the first user'"'"'s medical information to which access is sought.