Cloud platform for medical measurement data

High Level Software Information Security Medical technology

The spirometry devices from ndd Medizintechnik AG make a significant contribution to the early detection of lung diseases. Their measurement data is increasingly being stored in cloud-based electronic patient records (ePA). SCS created its own cloud platform for ndd to ensure efficient and secure data exchange between measuring devices and cloud-based systems.

  • Initial situation

    As part of the digitalisation of the healthcare system, medical data is increasingly being managed in electronic patient records. Medical measuring devices need an efficient and secure way to enter measurement data directly into patient records.

  • SCS solution

    In collaboration with the customer, SCS created a cloud platform that acts as a central communication instance for secure data exchange between the existing ndd spirometry devices and a cloud-based ePA.

  • Added value

    - Connection of existing ndd devices to the new cloud-based ePA via a simple software update.
    - Measured values are entered directly into the ePA.
    - Compliance with all cybersecurity requirements of cloud ePA providers.
    - System can be expanded for other cloud ePA providers.

Initial situation

Lung diseases such as narrowing of the airways are among the most common causes of death worldwide. Early detection of such diseases can help people to initiate treatment in good time. ndd Medizintechnik AG manufactures spirometry devices that test the quality of essential lung functions. Thanks to its sophisticated measurement methods and the ease of use of its devices, the Zurich-based company has succeeded in moving such tests from the laboratory to doctors’ surgeries, making them available to a larger number of patients.

Until now, electronic patient record systems (ePA) have mostly been operated in the local IT infrastructure of doctors’ surgeries, health centres and hospitals. The technical integration of ndd devices into the operation of these facilities takes place via an interface between the ePA system and the ndd operating software. These interfaces are usually part of the equipment of the ndd devices, but their connection requires the work of ndd’s IT staff on site.

For some years now, more and more healthcare facilities have been moving their patient records to the cloud. Instead of operating software on site, they are using relevant ePA platforms such as athenaOne from the US market leader Athenahealth.

SCS’s task was to establish a connection between the existing ndd spirometry devices in the healthcare facilities and cloud-based ePA platforms, first and foremost for the Athenahealth platform.

SCS solution

The connection between ndd spirometry devices and cloud-based ePA platforms was realised via a dedicated cloud platform for ndd. This platform serves as the central communication instance for data exchange with the various cloud-based ePA platforms.

The ndd cloud was realised on Microsoft Azure. It essentially consists of:

  • a user administration system in which all attending physicians and assistants are represented with their own account;
  • a web application via which the IT administrators of healthcare facilities can manage their users;
  • a communication unit that manages the connection to the EPA platform and forwards the measurement data to it.

Thanks to the web application, the healthcare facilities can manage their users independently. The actual user administration was realised via the Azure component AD B2C (Active Directory Business-to-Customer). This has the advantage that this component is already certified for the processing of personal data. For security and auditing purposes, all transactions are recorded in an audit log that is protected against changes. From the perspective of an ePA platform such as athenaOne, the ndd cloud is considered a trustworthy data source whose input is accepted as a corresponding entry in a patient file.

Advantages

ndd Medizintechnik AG benefits from its own cloud in many ways. Thanks to the cloud-to-cloud connection to EHR platforms, the effort of individually connecting the devices to the electronic patient record systems of healthcare facilities is no longer necessary – ndd devices can now be integrated into the daily operations of the facilities using the plug-and-play method. This has further increased the attractiveness of the devices and expanded the market for ndd in a simple way, as this type of connection is available to all healthcare facilities that operate their patient administration via a cloud-based system. “This is a big selling point,” confirms Georg Harnoncourt, Chief Strategy Officer at ndd. “It has already opened the door to many new customers and brought us measurable sales.”

Image source: nddmed.com

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