Creating savings and efficiency in healthcare
Identify everything and everyone to coordinate everything and everyone
Every patient has a unique identifier. Every drug has a unique batch number. Every oximeter has a serial number, a calibration record and an electrical test reference. Every supply is accompanied by an invoice…
In such a complex, interrelated landscape, administering so many moving parts is a challenge that consumes cost and invites error and inefficiency. Come with us while we explain an easier approach…
Building from a keystone
The identity story begins with the eKeyiD. It’s a deceptively simple piece of wizardry that identifies anything - and we do mean anything - via a short code. Nothing particularly groundbreaking there, we admit, but this simple beginning opens out to a huge landscape.
Every eKeyiD can contain an unlimited volume of information, stored ultra-securely on your private node (or nodes) of our patented federated ledger. We’ll tell you more about this in a moment. Now the magic begins…
An eKeyiD can contain other eKeyiDs, and any eKeyiD can be contained inside an unlimited number of other keys. If that sounds complicated, it’s because it is - but using it couldn’t be simpler.
Meet Alice
She’s a lady of a certain age who’s using a wheelchair while she recovers from a knee operation. She takes two types of tablet for her blood pressure and wears NHS in-the-ear hearing aids. Alice has her own eKeyiD that identifies her as a patient. Within that identity are other keys that contain all of her medical documentation, her assistance supplies, suppliers, service records and so on.
Each key can hold other keys, and groups can overlap at will. Below, we’ll explore some examples of how this works. Users of each key can add their own sub-keys and, if suitably authorised, view information and documents contained in other linked keys.
Infinite connections
If we look at the same picture from the point of view of Wheelchair Services, we see a different perspective. The relevant information like Alice’s address is visible in her eKeyiD, which also allows curated access to information in her documentation. Here we can see any specific needs, for example special requirements following her knee operation. Other personal information such as medication and medical history is invisible.
Wheelchair Services also has its own eKeyiDs for suppliers or service operatives. Here it can find invoices, execute payments, coordinate service and so on.
All of these can be made visible to an administrator for budgetary control, audit and reconciliation. Administration is greatly simplified and transparency enables savings in time and reduction of waste.
An inherently secure mechanism
A unique federated ledger with quantum-resistant architecture
Moving beyond blockchain
Blockchain brings undeniable benefits to data storage, but its existing state of development still has flaws. Though heavily secured, the Ethereum chain has suffered several successful penetrations, resulting in losses running into millions.
The technology requires a vast network, creating high energy consumption and increasing running costs. Despite significant improvements by shifting from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS), the need for a large number of participants (and reward for their participation, blockchain remains expensive and energy-inefficient.
What was needed was a fresh approach. DotLedger is the result of over ten years’ development by published cryptography experts. Initially deployed to store and protect payments, it has reliably processed over $8 billion in the last five years.
DotLedger and the eKeyiD system have already transformed payment compliance. Now they’re available to introduce new efficiencies into healthcare.
Small footprint, big results
DotLedger is protected by a patent that has been cited by international corporations like Seagate and Oracle. Unlike a traditional blockchain, it can operate on as few as two nodes without loss of security. It requires no public sharing and it’s crypto-independent, so there’s no need for reimbursement of third-party participants.
Energy usage is reduced to a tiny fraction of that consumed even by PoS blockchains.
Each block of information is of unlimited size and can store multiple document types. This greatly reduces information retrieval time and avoids fragmentation.
The audit “movie”
Like blockchain, however, information stored in the ledger can never be changed. Updates are possible, for example to record an address change, but the preceding information always remains in an immutable record. Audits and reconciliations can examine the state of all information that existed at any given date.
Built on next-generation security and immutability
DotLedger is one of the world’s first - possibly even the first - fully federated ledgers.
What does that mean? Think of it as an unlimited number of separate databases that can operate discretely or as one. Blockchain can do something similar with local chains, but this reduces security due to a phenomenon known as localisation. Once separated, they have little or no way of interacting with other local chains.
DotLedger allows any number of private instances to interact as one, sharing data where required or sealing it completely where it needs to be private. Each instance can be on a different cloud and running on a different operating system. So, for example, a healthcare trust can operate its own private implementation while interacting seamlessly with all others.
Every information block repeatedly checks the integrity of every other, using a constantly changing access key. Even a notional quantum computer has to start again from stage one on every hacking attempt. This behaviour is replicated across all nodes, so a would-be hacker would need to penetrate every block in every node - which may be using a different technology - within the same millisecond.
Any platform, any technology
Migrating to a new system, especially for a large enterprise, is a major task. That’s why we designed a system that can work with existing technology and practice, delivering immediate benefit. Full migration can then be undertaken at a properly planned pace.
DotLedger is compatible with all cloud platforms and runs on virtually any operating system. Because of its small footprint, it can usually be accommodated within existing contracts.
Integration with existing systems is extraordinarily simple. The eKeyiD does much of the heavy lifting here, providing a compact code that can be embedded into virtually any text field. We provide a private, flexible and user-friendly portal for your use to get you up and running quickly.
We offer a comprehensive range of RESTful APIs, along with one-to-one support to allow rapid integration with your existing systems. And if you want something special, you’ll have direct access to the platform’s creators to help you realise your best ideas.
There’s more information about DotLedger here
Making the connection
The eKeyiD platform can join unlike systems and meld them into an intercommunicative, efficient whole. Budgeting becomes easier and more transparent and services interact to deliver better patient service and drastically less administrative load. And considering the ease of adoption within existing processes and technologies, today’s a very good time for us to start talking.