Blood Test Results - Umut Ozyedierler
08/31 REPORT
1.INTRODUCTION
The aim of this application is make easy to interpret blood test results and if results are out of the range, application will shows reasons of disorder. Firstly, users select blood test type then, enter their results and they can see description of blood test, normal range of blood test result, whether their result is into normal range or out of the normal range and reasons of disorder .If user’s test result is under normal range, he/she will see only normal range of blood test and description of the test. If user’s test result is out of range, he/she will see normal range of blood test, whether her/his result is higher or lover than normal range, description of the test and reason of disorder. If user sign up or login, he/she will be directed user page and he/she can logout, see his/her previous results, change password and interpret test results. If the user sign up, the user will be able to save and display his/her previous results. This attribute is just for members not for guests.
Homepage of application has three buttons which are interpret blood test result, login and sign up. These buttons direct users to other pages. If login and sign up procedures completed successfully, users are directed userpage. Userpage has four buttons which are interpret blood test results, see previous results, change password and logout. Change password button will direct user to change password page. Logout button will direct user to homepage. See previous results button direct user to page which shows list of user’s blood test results. Lastly, interpret blood test results button will direct user to select blood test type page. User will select test type, then he/she enter their blood test value and he/she will see interpretation of the his/her blood test.
Login, sign up, logout, change password, list blood test results and interpret blood test results attributes will be implemented moreover, connections between pages will be implemented. Implementations will be tested. Java, xml and SQLite technology will be used for implementation. Each screen is activity for Android applications and each activity has layout. Xml is used for layout design, Java is used for implementation of activity and SQLite is used for database operations.
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND PROJECT PLAN
2.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Blood test interpreter application is developed for interpreting and saving blood test results easily. This project runs on Android mobile phones. Application has user sign up and login attributes and users can use this application as a member or being without member. If user use application as a member, he/she will see only normal range of blood test result, interpretation of blood test and compare his/her result with previous blood test results moreover; he/she can store their results on application but if user use application being without member, he/she won’t see his/her previous results and he/she can’t store his/her results.
2.2 PROJECT SCOPE
This project is android based blood test interpreter mobile phone application and it consists of several components. Firstly, information about blood test values should be obtained and database should be designed in order to save members and blood test values. If any user sign up the application, information about this user will be stored in database and if any user choose blood test type and enter his/her blood test value , data about blood test will be obtained from database. Secondly, sign up, login and blood test interpretation algorithms should be developed and implemented. Finally, application should be tested by real users and should be ensured that application working correctly.
2.3 PROJECT SCHEDULE
Project consists of 4 work packages as seen below. These packages are listed as follows:
Work Package 1: Researches about developing android applications
Work Package 2: Obtaining required data
Work Package 3: Implementation
Work Package 4: After the implementation, make the necessary tests.
Researches about developing android applications and obtaining required data work packages will be completed. Implementation continues as seen below. Implementation work package consists of 6 modules which are listed as follows:
1. Sign Up
2. Login
3. Logout
4. Change password
5. List blood test results
6. Interpret blood test results
09/30
1. Timing
As it was talked at the previous meeting, detailed project schedule will be created.
In the following 2 weeks, I continue to gather scientific data for tests. 10/14, Security/privacy investigation us ules (HIPAA ) and Turkey rules of patient medical records. add details to plan we discussed in meeting.
After this step, I am going to start implementation. I am planning to spend 4 weeks for 4 modules and spend 2 to 3 weeks for last 2 modules. My modules are:
1. Sign Up - LDAP directory with backend user credentials
2. Login
3. Logout
4. Change password
4.5 Build DB of blood result ranges, skema ???
5. List blood test results -User Input screen for test results. Drop down menu with supported tests.
5.5 Cholesterol (hdl, ldl, ratios), tri-glicerides, uric acid, vitamins, etc.....
6. Interpret blood test results - compare user results, get data from DB, do comparison and identify range
6.5 Present Results page -
Totally, It will take 6-7 weeks. The last step of my project is testing and I will spend 1 week for it. Consequently, I am planning finish my project in mid-December.
2. Gathered Data
HIPAA - patient data control (US)...Turkey's perspective??
My main task for previous 2 weeks was gathering data. I searched several Turkish and English websites and other sources. I found some good information about it which is listed below.
• http://web2.airmail.net/uthman/lab_test.html
• http://www.nurseslearning.com/courses/nrp/labtest/course/section3/c1.htm
• http://www.istudentnurse.com/labs/
• http://www.cpmc.org/learning/labtests.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_ranges_for_blood_tests
• Some other Turkish websites
10.14 Meeting
HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996. HIPAA does the following: • Provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs; • Reduces health care fraud and abuse; • Mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes; and • Requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information
Title I: Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability
Title II: Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse; Administrative Simplification; Medical Liability Reform
Security Rule • Administrative Safeguards – policies and procedures designed to clearly show how the entity will comply with the act • Covered entities (entities that must comply with HIPAA requirements) must adopt a written set of privacy procedures and designate a privacy officer to be responsible for developing and implementing all required policies and procedures. • The policies and procedures must reference management oversight and organizational buy-in to compliance with the documented security controls. • Procedures should clearly identify employees or classes of employees who will have access to electronic protected health information (EPHI). Access to EPHI must be restricted to only those employees who have a need for it to complete their job function. • The procedures must address access authorization, establishment, modification, and termination. • Entities must show that an appropriate ongoing training program regarding the handling of PHI is provided to employees performing health plan administrative functions. • Covered entities that out-source some of their business processes to a third party must ensure that their vendors also have a framework in place to comply with HIPAA requirements. Companies typically gain this assurance through clauses in the contracts stating that the vendor will meet the same data protection requirements that apply to the covered entity. Care must be taken to determine if the vendor further out-sources any data handling functions to other vendors and monitor whether appropriate contracts and controls are in place. • A contingency plan should be in place for responding to emergencies. Covered entities are responsible for backing up their data and having disaster recovery procedures in place. The plan should document data priority and failure analysis, testing activities, and change control procedures. • Internal audits play a key role in HIPAA compliance by reviewing operations with the goal of identifying potential security violations. Policies and procedures should specifically document the scope, frequency, and procedures of audits. Audits should be both routine and event-based. • Procedures should document instructions for addressing and responding to security breaches that are identified either during the audit or the normal course of operations. • Physical Safeguards – controlling physical access to protect against inappropriate access to protected data • Controls must govern the introduction and removal of hardware and software from the network. (When equipment is retired it must be disposed of properly to ensure that PHI is not compromised.) • Access to equipment containing health information should be carefully controlled and monitored. • Access to hardware and software must be limited to properly authorized individuals. • Required access controls consist of facility security plans, maintenance records, and visitor sign-in and escorts. • Policies are required to address proper workstation use. Workstations should be removed from high traffic areas and monitor screens should not be in direct view of the public. • If the covered entities utilize contractors or agents, they too must be fully trained on their physical access responsibilities. • Technical Safeguards – controlling access to computer systems and enabling covered entities to protect communications containing PHI transmitted electronically over open networks from being intercepted by anyone other than the intended recipient. • Information systems housing PHI must be protected from intrusion. When information flows over open networks, some form of encryption must be utilized. If closed systems/networks are utilized, existing access controls are considered sufficient and encryption is optional. • Each covered entity is responsible for ensuring that the data within its systems has not been changed or erased in an unauthorized manner. • Data corroboration, including the use of check sum, double-keying, message authentication, and digital signature may be used to ensure data integrity. • Covered entities must also authenticate entities with which they communicate. Authentication consists of corroborating that an entity is who it claims to be. Examples of corroboration include: password systems, two or three-way handshakes, telephone callback, and token systems. • Covered entities must make documentation of their HIPAA practices available to the government to determine compliance. • In addition to policies and procedures and access records, information technology documentation should also include a written record of all configuration settings on the components of the network because these components are complex, configurable, and always changing. • Documented risk analysis and risk management programs are required. Covered entities must carefully consider the risks of their operations as they implement systems to comply with the act. (The requirement of risk analysis and risk management implies that the act’s security requirements are a minimum standard and places responsibility on covered entities to take all reasonable precautions necessary to prevent PHI from being used for non-health purposes.)
What About In Turkey?
In 1998 Health Ministry designed a regulation for patients rights. It says that the information about the patients problem only can be expressed to family in case of possibility of harming others. In addition to that the other case for explaining the situtation is can be done by just the decision of court. In Turkey there is any law or rule for online information protection for spesifically health department.
