Standardizing Health Interoperability: Putting FHIR in Blockchain

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Dale David

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

warbyparker38@gmail.com

Additional applicants

1. John Leonard Tubig
2. Trista Gile
3. Jofferson Tiquez

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

3

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependency.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

It’s Open Source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Exchange

[METADATA] SDG rating

This is part of the Hippr project. The related SDG Goals below align with Hippr’s mission to ensure safe and secure access to healthcare data for all. By providing a robust health tech infrastructure, nations can efficiently achieve the 3.8 SDG subgoals, which require universal health coverage and access to quality healthcare services, medicines, and vaccines.

SDG Goals

Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

SDG Subgoals

3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

3.8.1 Coverage of essential health services

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution aims to integrate the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard with the Cardano blockchain to address the challenges in health data exchange. We perceive the problem as a lack of transparency, trust, and interoperability in the current healthcare data exchange system.

Our approach combines the strengths of FHIR, an API-focused standard for health data exchange, with the secure and immutable nature of the Cardano blockchain. By leveraging blockchain technology, we ensure the verifiability, privacy, and integrity of health data transactions.

To demonstrate the impact of our solution, we will conduct a proof of concept to showcase the benefits of the FHIR-Cardano integration, such as improved data exchange auditability. Simply put, the FHIR will power the exchange between two facilities (A & B). The exchange will only happen upon a handshake in Cardano blockchain where a proof of transaction will also be recorded.

What sets our solution apart is the unique combination of FHIR and Cardano blockchain, which provides a secure and transparent platform for health data exchange. This solution benefits healthcare providers by enabling efficient and trustworthy data sharing, patients by safeguarding their privacy, and Cardano by showcasing the blockchain's potential in revolutionizing healthcare systems. Ensuring safe and reliable health data accessibility is vital to Cardano's mission of building a decentralized and inclusive ecosystem that positively impacts global industries.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed solution directly addresses the challenge by integrating the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard with the Cardano blockchain. This integration brings several benefits to the Cardano ecosystem:

1. Enhanced Data Security and Privacy: By leveraging the blockchain's immutability and cryptographic features, our solution ensures secure and private health data exchange. This fosters trust among participants in the Cardano ecosystem and strengthens data protection.
2. Increased Adoption and Community Growth: The integration of FHIR with Cardano can open up new opportunities for healthcare providers to engage with the Cardano ecosystem. This integration encourages health IT providers to adopt Cardano and leverage its capabilities, thus expanding the user base and driving community growth.
3. Interoperability and Efficiency: The integration enables seamless data exchange between healthcare providers, promoting interoperability and streamlining healthcare operations. This efficiency gains value for the Cardano ecosystem by demonstrating the scalability and usability of blockchain technology in solving key challenges within the healthcare industry.
4. Compliance with Healthcare Regulations: As the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) mandates the use of FHIR for health IT providers, our solution aligns with regulatory requirements. By integrating FHIR with Cardano blockchain, we ensure future compliance and position Cardano as a leading platform for healthcare data exchange.

While quantifying the exact impact is challenging, our project aims to attract healthcare providers and industry stakeholders to the Cardano ecosystem over the long term.

Note that this project is to build a proof of concept (POC). The benefits mentioned will take place upon the actual adoption of the concept.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Proof of Concept

Note that the proposed project will be a proof of concept (POC) stage to show two health facilities exchanging via FHIR (from facility A server to facility B serve) and the proof of transaction is placed in Cardano blockchain. The exchange only happens upon a handshake made in the blockchain by the two parties. This is how the success of the project will be measured.

Technical Measures

To ensure technical success and productivity, the project will implement measures such as code stability, simplicity, testability, team velocity, and knowledge sharing. Stable code, simplicity in design, comprehensive testing, and collaborative practices will be prioritized to maintain high-quality development standards.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

Developers Community:

1. Github: The project's outputs, such as the app's source code and documentation, will be shared here. Hopefully, this will engage developers, encourage collaboration, and potentially lead to further improvements and contributions.
2. Reddit: The project's app and its features can be posted on platforms like Reddit. This will potentially generate visibility and attract attention from developers, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts.

User Reviews and Feedback:

Over time, users of the app will provide reviews and feedback on the said platforms. These reviews will be valuable in evaluating usability, identifying gaps, and understanding user needs. The feedback will guide future versions of the app and inform further research and development activities.

Research and Development:

The results generated from the project, including user feedback, technical insights, and lessons learned, will be utilized in future research and development activities. The project team (and others who are working on this open source) can analyze the data and identify opportunities for improvement, innovation, and expansion. This iterative process will fuel ongoing advancements and ensure that the project remains responsive to evolving user needs and technological advancements.

By employing these dissemination strategies and leveraging user feedback, the project aims to engage the developer community, generate awareness and interest, and utilize the project's outputs to drive further research, development, and innovation.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Our team has a strong track record in building healthcare solutions since 2016. We have successfully developed Hippocrades Protocol (Hippr), a decentralized healthcare infrastructure for web 3.0, which received funding from Project Catalyst. Furthermore, Hippocrades was selected for the Ariob Incubator / Iceaddis program in Africa in partnership with Cardano and selected as a participant at the Seedstar - FT x Cardano Blockchain Challenge.

References to Our Works

• Hippocrades Whitepaper here
• Deploy your own health dApps (www.hippr.org)
• Demo of Hippocrades Apps here
• Healthcare API documentation here
• We are the same team behind MYCURE

These demonstrates our extensive experience in the healthcare sector and our involvement with the Cardano blockchain ecosystem.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Main goals:

1. Integrate FHIR with Cardano blockchain for secure health data exchange (FHIR will facilitate exchange for two parties. The proof of exchange is placed in Cardano blockchain.
2. Validation: Technical assessment, proof-of-concept, testing, feedback.
3. Validation: Measure interoperability, evaluate privacy measures, assess administrative efficiency.
4. Demonstrate usability through POC implementation.
5. Validation: POC implementation.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Week 1

• Team and project goals/objectives set up
• Review of requirements

Weeks 2 - 8

• Review of FHIR
• Development of smart contract and module for FHIR integration

Weeks 9 - 12

• Quality assurance and testing
• Re-work (if needed)
• Documentation and Release

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

1. Integration Framework Development:
2. Deliverables: Documentation on the integration framework, guidelines for using FHIR and showing proof of transactions in blockchain.
3. Outputs: Proof-of-concept implementation demonstrating the secure data exchange .
4. Intended Outcomes: Integration of FHIR with Cardano (based on POC), enabling secure and transparent health data exchange between providers.
5. Smart Contract Implementation:
6. Deliverables: Developed smart contracts for data transaction (proofs of exchange), deployed contracts on the Cardano blockchain (testnet).
7. Outputs: Functioning smart contracts enabling secure and verifiable data transactions.
8. Intended Outcomes: Enhanced security and trust in health data transactions, leveraging the blockchain's immutability and transparency.
9. POC Implementation:
10. Deliverables: Pilot implementation report, user feedback, lessons learned documentation.
11. Outputs: Completed pilot implementation, successful data exchange between healthcare providers, user feedback.
12. Intended Outcomes: Demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness of the integrated solution, validated user acceptance, identified areas for improvement.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Project Lead (1)

• 2 months (spread) @ 4,500 ada / month
• 9,000 ada

System Analyst and Designer

• 1 month (spread) @ 9,000 ada /month
• 9,000 ada

Backend Senior Developer

• 2 months @ 9,000 ada / month
• 18,000 ada

QA / Documentation

• 1 month @ 4,500 ada / month
• 4,500 ada

Total: 40,500 ada

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem through a salary-based formula. The majority of the project's cost is allocated to cover the salaries of the team members involved in the development process.

It is important to note that Dale, who is based in San Francisco, California, will not receive a salary for this project. He serves as the program lead for the Hippr project and provides monitoring support for this initiative. In the United States, the salary range for an IT Program Head is typically between $15,000 to $20,000 per month.

Trista, based in Toronto, Canada, will be the project lead and her budgeted salary for this project is below the range of $5,000 to $8,000 per month for project leads in that region. Joff and Nad, both based in Manila, Philippines. Experienced developers in the area start at $2,000 per month. They will also be relocating to Toronto to work on the project.

Additionally, it is important to highlight that the team's expertise, experience, and dedication to the project contribute to its overall value for money. Their collective knowledge in healthcare, blockchain, and software development ensures a comprehensive and effective execution of the project. The team's commitment to delivering tangible outcomes and the potential long-term impact on the Cardano ecosystem further supports the project's value for money.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept