Healthcare system architecture, economic value, and policy models in large-scale wireless sensor networks

Abstract

In this paper, we have designed and modeled the ubiquitous RFID healthcare system architecture and framework workflow, which are described by six classified core players or subsystems, and have also analyzed by an economic value-chain model. They consist of the patient and wearable ECG sensor, network service, healthcare service, emergency service, and PKI service providers. To enhance the security level control for the patient's medical privacy, individual private and public keys should be stored on smart cards. All the patient and service providers in the proposed security control architecture should have suitable secure private and public keys to access medical data and diagnosis results with RFID/GPS tracking information for emergency service. By enforcing the requirements of necessary keys among the patient and service providers, the patient's ECG data can be protected and effectively controlled over the open medical directory service. Consequently, the proposed architecture for ubiquitous RFID healthcare system using the smart card terminal is appropriate to build up medical privacy policies in future ubiquitous sensor networking and home networking environments. In addition, we have analyzed an economic value-chain model based on the proposed architecture consisting of RFID, GPS, PDA, ECG sensor, and smart card systems in large-scale wireless sensor networks and have also analyzed two market derivers-customer demands and technology - in the proposed service architecture using the value-chain model. Finally, policy modeling for privacy and security protection for customers, service providers, and regulatory agency is considered to promote beneficial utilization of the collected healthcare data and derived new business of healthcare applications.