About us
We are a non-profit organization whose advocacy is to ensure consistent and maximized federal funding for California residents through the Medi-Cal program.
How Blockchain Solves Health Care Privacy Crisis
By now everyone knows about Bitcoin and the blockchain. However, not everyone understands how the blockchain works and how the technology can be employed in other fields.
Well, believe it or not, the ground-breaking technology that makes possible to send/receive Bitcoins and another cryptocurrency, can also help Health Care and fix some of its problems.
Do you want to know how? Keep on reading to find out how the blockchain solves the Health Care privacy crisis.
What’s the Health Care crisis?
Have you ever asked yourself what makes a Health Care reform so difficult? You’d be right to think that money has a big role, but it’s not the only problem.
While the Affordable Care Act aims to offer low-priced health insurances and expands Medicaid, it also means that the government is spending more money than ever on Health Care. And if it wants to make reforms, it will need even more money.
However, the big issue is the lack of interoperability. For example, your medal provider keeps your records, but if you fall ill in another hospital in another state, it will take time for the doctors to get access to those records. That time is the difference between life and death in some cases.
Unfortunately, interoperability goes hand at hand with the patient’s privacy and his medical record protection. That’s a subject the government takes very seriously.
That’s why the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) was amended in 2013 to protect the patient’s confidence and to make sure that the data was accessible only on “need to know” basis so that no one can ask to see your files to check your health status.
The act also strongly opposed the idea of storing medical records on centralized servers. That’s not such a bad thing when you think about it, because hackers nowadays hack government’s sites and servers. So, it’s easy for them can access medical records and use them for nefarious purposes.
So, the main question is how to keep the patient’s records private and make interoperability work. If the government can do it, it can improve the efficiency of the Health Care system and cut down expenses.
How could the blockchain solve the Health Care Privacy crisis?
The blockchain technology is a complicated subject, so I’m going to keep it as short and easy to understand as possible. Think about the blockchain as a ledger or a database that is shared between all participants. Before you can add any new information or a block, it has to be checked and verified to ensure that it’s valid.
The blockchain can have numerous application in the Health Care. For example, since the information on the blockchain would be encrypted and validated by the participants, it would be nearly impossible for hackers to gain access to it.
If hackers want to give it a go, they will have to hack the whole system to change something in a file or peek in someone’s records. So, your personal data is going to be far more secure than on a centralized server.
In addition to this, once you add something to the blockchain, you can’t remove it because it’s already connected to the other blocks. So, when you fall ill in another state or a city, doctors would be able to access the blockchain immediately and see your medical records. What’s more, since you can’t change the medical records, it guarantees their integrity.
In this way, doctors will have all the information about your preexisting condition, which can save the patient’s life. Not to mention that it will cut down the medical costs because doctors will narrow down the tests needed to be done.
What’s more, the blockchain will help you upload information from your wearable devices and medical apps, so that you can keep in touch with your doctor.
For example, if you have high blood pressure and you keep tabs on it using a blood pressure app, you can upload the data to the blockchain, and your doctor will review it and suggest how to proceed. That would make Health Care much more efficient.
In addition to this, the blockchain might be useful for:
- Tracking clinical trial information
- Monitoring epidemics
- Analyzing data anonymously
- Keep records of physician licenses
What are the downsides the blockchain technology in Health Care?
According to 8bit Sumo, one of the biggest concerns about using the blockchain to solve the Health Care privacy crisis is that it’s not completely HIPAA compliant and its implementation might require a change in the law.
Also, some critics of the system point out that the data is still not as secure as you would hope. The miners, the people who are going to run the Health Care blockchain, would still have access to the medical files. So, it would have to have some safety measures to prevent anyone from abusing the information.
What’s more, it’s worth remembering that Bitcoin miners get a small portion of Bitcoin for every transaction they validate. So, the miners in the Health Care blockchain would also have to receive some incentive to keep the system working. What’s more, we shouldn’t forget that running such a blockchain would require a significant computing power.
The last thing we shouldn’t forget is that since the system is decentralized, it won’t be under the control of the government. So, critics ask who would be responsible if something goes amiss.
As you can see, the blockchain has many advantages that could be implemented to reform the Health Care and make it more efficient and low-cost. However, there are still some problematic areas to work upon if the government ever hopes to implement the blockchain in the health sector.
What do you think on the subject? Can the blockchain solve the Health Care privacy crisis? Tell us in the comments.
4 signs that indicate when should someone seek medical care for ringworm on the body
Ringworm can give you a nightmare. It is a form of rash in the skin that is caused due to a fungus. The rash looks like a ring. It is a very common type of skin infection. It is contagious; that is, it can easily get transferred from one person to another if that person comes into direct or indirect contact with the affected person. If you suffer from ringworm then you can get some over-the-counter ointment or antifungal medications. But in case of severe cases, you should seek medical care. These are the situations or conditions that indicate that you need medical attention.
- If you see that your condition is not getting any better after applying the over-the-counter medication after one week or the rash is actually spreading more, then you should visit a doctor. You should diagnose your condition to find out what’s wrong with your skin. There is a chance that you might suffer from other skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema.
- Besides having a rash on your skin, if you have a fever of more than 380C or 100.40F then it is an indication that a bacterial secondary infection has occurred. In such case, you should visit the doctor immediately.
- If there is an infection along with the ringworm, then you must go to the emergency department of a hospital. You should go through detailed diagnosis to find out about your skin condition. Symptoms of infections include increased pain and swelling, discharge of pus, etc.
- If you notice patches of skin that look red and bumpy like blisters and feels itchy even after applying nonprescription antifungal medication from two weeks, then you should see a doctor.
Clinical examination is conducted in order to diagnose ringworm. The doctor collects a sample from your skin and checks it under a microscope to look at the fungal growth. As it’s a very common disease, you should know how to get rid of ringworm with home remedies. You can go to a pharmacy and get over-the-counter medicine. A family doctor can also suggest you medication. If your condition gets worse and you see the symptoms just discussed then you should visit a specialist in this area and get a proper diagnosis. Though ringworm is not a serious disease, you should seek medical help immediately if the over-the-counter medication doesn’t improve your condition after a few weeks. If left untreated, it may cause serious skin conditions.
When to Seek Medical Care for a Black Eye
Black eyes are unsightly. Sadly, everybody is going to suffer from one at some point. All it takes is a slight knock to the area around the eye and you are going to be looking at some severe bruising. Thankfully, most black eyes do not need to be treated. The only time you will need to visit a doctor and seek treatment is if you are dealing with one of the following:
- There is blood in the eye. It will be in the white or the colored part of the eye. This is incredibly dangerous and you will need to seek help immediately.
- If you are suffering from vision problems. This includes double vision or blurring.
- There is severe pain around the eye.
- You are also bleeding from the nose.
There is no sense wasting your time and going to the doctor if there is just a bit of light bruising around the eye. They will not be able to do anything for you. Thankfully, you can treat the injury at home! Let’s take a look at how to get rid of a black eye, shall we?
Credit: Top10HomeRemedies.com
Cold Compress
The first thing you will want to do is apply a cold compress to the eye. Do this as soon as possible after it has been injured.
Try to ensure that the compress is not too cold as this will cause an extreme amount of pain. Your best option is to fill up a cloth with some ice. You can then apply this to the area.
You should do the following:
- Apply the cold compress to the bruising
- Press lightly down on the eye
- Make sure that you are not pressing on the eye itself. This can cause pain.
- Repeat this process several times per day. The bruising should start to disappear after 2-3 days.
Warm Compress
When the swelling starts to go down, you can apply a warm compress to the area. Most people do this after a couple of days. The same rules as before apply. This means that you should not put too much pressure on the eye. Of course, you will also want to ensure that the warm compress is not too hot otherwise this will cause you severe burns. Obviously, the last thing you want to be dealing with will be severe burns!
Dealing with the pain
When it comes to how to get rid of a black eye, it is unlikely that you will be dealing with so much pain that you are going to be clambering to get rid of it. If you do have pain because of your black eye, any OTC painkiller should be more than sufficient to help you deal with it. If the pain is unbearable then you can head to your doctor and they will be able to prescribe you something a bit stronger.
If you do follow these tips on how to get rid of a black eye, it will disappear in next-to-no time at all!