[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant
Tsedeniya Fikadu Mulugeta
[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)
Individual
[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)
12
[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language
No
[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)
We will develop a blockchain-based platform for secure, encrypted, and immutable patient records that are globally accessible to authorized healthcare providers, ensuring efficient and reliable data
[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
Yes
[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.”
We depend on partnerships with healthcare providers for initial testing and integration, and on compliance with global health data privacy regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?
Yes
[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs
The blockchain code for Global Health on the Blockchain will be fully open-source, allowing developers to review, adapt, and contribute to its improvement. This transparency ensures community collaboration and ongoing innovation.
[METADATA] Horizons
Interoperability
[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution
How We Perceive the Problem:
The healthcare industry faces a significant challenge in securing and managing patient records. Current systems are prone to data breaches, fragmentation, inefficiency, and interoperability issues, making it difficult for patients and healthcare providers to access critical information when it’s most needed. These problems are exacerbated by the growing need for global access to healthcare data, especially as people travel or seek medical care across borders. The existing healthcare data management infrastructure is not designed to handle this effectively, creating risks for privacy violations and medical errors due to incomplete or inaccurate records.
Our proposed solution aims to address these challenges by leveraging Cardano’s blockchain technology to create a secure, decentralized system for storing, managing, and sharing patient records globally. This platform will ensure that patient data is not only protected from unauthorized access or tampering but also easily accessible by authorized healthcare providers anywhere in the world.
Why We Are Approaching It This Way:
We believe that blockchain technology offers unique advantages that traditional healthcare record systems cannot provide:
- Immutability: Blockchain’s decentralized structure makes records tamper-proof, ensuring that patient data cannot be altered without proper authorization. This is critical in an industry where accuracy and trust are paramount.
- Security and Privacy: Patient records will be encrypted and stored on the blockchain, ensuring high levels of security. Only authorized parties can access these records, and patients will have full control over their data.
- Global Accessibility: By leveraging Cardano’s scalable and secure infrastructure, our platform allows patients and healthcare providers to access records anywhere in the world, ensuring continuity of care even across borders.
- Interoperability: Our platform will integrate seamlessly with existing healthcare systems, allowing for interoperability between traditional databases and our blockchain-based solution. This approach reduces the friction associated with switching systems and encourages adoption among healthcare providers.
Our approach is to solve these problems by focusing on a decentralized solution that gives patients control over their data, ensures data integrity, and supports global interoperability—all key to solving the challenges facing today’s healthcare systems.
Who Will Our Project Engage?
1. Patients:
Patients will benefit directly from having secure, immutable access to their health records. They will have the ability to control who accesses their data, revoke access when necessary, and ensure that their personal health information is protected at all times. Additionally, the platform allows patients to share their medical records with healthcare providers quickly and securely when needed, leading to better care outcomes.
2. Healthcare Providers:
Healthcare professionals, including doctors, hospitals, and clinics, will be able to access accurate and up-to-date patient information in real-time, enabling more informed decisions and faster responses in critical situations. By integrating with existing healthcare systems, the platform will reduce administrative burdens, minimize medical errors, and improve the efficiency of care delivery.
3. Global Healthcare Institutions:
Our solution will engage global healthcare networks and institutions that face the challenge of ensuring that patient data is safely transferred and managed across different countries and jurisdictions. This will lead to better care coordination, especially for cross-border treatments, telemedicine, and medical tourism.
4. Regulatory Bodies and Governments:
We will also engage with regulatory bodies to ensure that the platform meets compliance standards for data privacy and security, such as HIPAA and GDPR. By working closely with these organizations, we can help drive policy change and encourage further adoption of decentralized systems for sensitive data management.
Demonstrating and Proving Impact:
We will demonstrate and measure the impact of Global Health on the Blockchain in several key ways:
- Healthcare Provider Onboarding: We will track the number of healthcare providers that adopt the platform, both during the pilot phase and after full deployment. This will provide a measurable indication of the platform's reach and success in the healthcare industry.
- Patient Records Managed: We will monitor the number of patient records stored and managed on the platform. This quantitative metric will show the extent to which the system is being utilized and the value it provides to healthcare providers and patients alike.
- Transaction Volume on Cardano: Each access or update to a patient’s record will generate on-chain transactions, contributing to Cardano’s transaction volume. This will help us track how the platform is adding value to the Cardano ecosystem.
- User Satisfaction and Feedback: We will collect qualitative feedback from patients and healthcare providers to assess the platform’s usability, security, and overall effectiveness. This feedback will allow us to continually improve the system based on real-world needs.
We will regularly share progress reports, usage metrics, and feedback summaries with Cardano’s Project Catalyst and the wider community through open-source reports, case studies, and public webinars.
What is Unique About Our Solution?
- Decentralized and Patient-Centric:
- Unlike traditional healthcare data systems, our platform will give patients full control over their records. They will decide who can access their information and under what conditions, making healthcare more patient-centric and empowering individuals to manage their own health data.
- Global Reach with Local Compliance:
- The platform is designed to be globally accessible, allowing patients and healthcare providers to interact with medical records seamlessly across borders, while still ensuring compliance with local data privacy laws such as HIPAA and GDPR. This dual focus on global accessibility and local compliance sets our solution apart.
- Scalable and Interoperable:
- By building on Cardano’s scalable infrastructure, our solution is prepared to handle the large volumes of data generated by healthcare systems globally. Additionally, the platform’s interoperability with existing healthcare databases ensures minimal disruption for healthcare providers, making it easier for institutions to adopt the technology.
Why This is Important to Cardano:
This project will drive Cardano adoption in the critical healthcare sector, showcasing how blockchain technology can solve real-world problems beyond finance. By demonstrating that Cardano can provide secure, scalable, and compliant solutions for sensitive data management, this project will enhance Cardano’s credibility in both the blockchain and traditional tech sectors. Additionally, the global nature of healthcare ensures that this project will promote Cardano’s visibility and use case potential across a wide audience, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patients.
By solving critical challenges in healthcare data management, Global Health on the Blockchain will contribute to the long-term sustainability and growth of the Cardano ecosystem, proving its value in highly regulated industries and setting the stage for further innovation.
[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
Value to the Cardano Community:
Global Health on the Blockchain will bring significant value to the Cardano community by demonstrating how blockchain technology can solve critical real-world challenges in healthcare. By securely storing and managing patient records on the Cardano blockchain, the project will:
- Increase Adoption of Cardano in Healthcare:
- By addressing key issues like data security, interoperability, and privacy, we will showcase how Cardano’s scalable and secure infrastructure can revolutionize healthcare systems. This use case will inspire further adoption of Cardano in other industries, demonstrating its capability beyond finance and DeFi.
- Promote Cardano as a Leader in Decentralized Technology:
- Success in the healthcare sector will highlight Cardano’s reliability and scalability for sensitive data management, positioning Cardano as a leader in decentralized technology. This will elevate the blockchain’s reputation and attract attention from enterprises, governments, and other industries that handle sensitive data.
- Build Trust in Blockchain Solutions:
- Through this project, healthcare institutions, patients, and regulatory bodies will begin to trust blockchain technology as a secure and effective solution for sensitive data management. This will result in wider acceptance of Cardano as a trusted blockchain for critical applications.
Measuring the Impact:
We will measure the impact of Global Health on the Blockchain using both quantitative and qualitative methods to ensure comprehensive assessment of the project's success.
- Quantitative Metrics:
- Healthcare Providers Onboarded: The number of healthcare institutions adopting our platform will serve as a key indicator of success. Our goal is to onboard at least 5 healthcare providers during the pilot phase, with potential for global expansion post-launch.
- Number of Patient Records Managed: The total number of patient records stored on the blockchain will reflect the platform's utility and scalability. We aim to manage thousands of patient records in the first year, demonstrating the platform’s capacity to handle large-scale data securely.
- Transaction Volume on Cardano: The platform will generate on-chain transactions each time a record is created, updated, or accessed, contributing to the overall transaction volume on the Cardano network. We will track this metric to quantify the contribution of the project to Cardano's network activity.
- Qualitative Metrics:
- User Satisfaction and Feedback: We will gather qualitative feedback from both patients and healthcare providers during the pilot testing phase and beyond. Their satisfaction with the platform’s ease of use, security, and functionality will provide insights into the platform’s real-world effectiveness and value.
- Partnerships and Collaborations: The number of strategic partnerships formed with healthcare organizations and regulatory bodies will indicate the project’s success in creating an ecosystem of trusted entities. Strong collaborations will boost trust in the platform and promote further adoption.
- Case Studies and Success Stories: We will document success stories from healthcare institutions that implement the platform, highlighting how blockchain technology improved their data management, care coordination, and patient outcomes. These case studies will serve as powerful marketing tools to promote the platform and Cardano’s capabilities.
Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:
- Open Source Contributions:
- The codebase for the blockchain infrastructure and smart contracts developed for this project will be made open-source, enabling the Cardano developer community to contribute, improve, and build upon our solution. This ensures that the community benefits from the technological innovations we create and promotes collaboration and growth within the ecosystem.
- Reports and Data Sharing:
- We will publish detailed project reports, including progress updates, technical documentation, and impact assessments, on platforms like GitHub, Project Catalyst, and Cardano forums. This will ensure transparency and allow stakeholders to understand how the project is evolving and the value it brings to Cardano.
- Educational Content:
- We will produce educational materials in the form of videos, webinars, and articles to raise awareness about the benefits of blockchain in healthcare. These will be shared with the Cardano community, as well as the broader public, to drive knowledge dissemination and adoption of blockchain technology for real-world use cases.
- Community Engagement:
- We will actively engage with the Cardano community through AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions, conferences, and online forums to share our progress and gather feedback. This will allow community members to participate in the project’s development, ask questions, and understand how they can benefit from the project or contribute to its success.
- Partnership Development:
- We will continue to explore new partnerships with healthcare organizations, policymakers, and Cardano-affiliated projects to expand the platform’s reach and impact. Collaborations with other blockchain-based healthcare solutions within the Cardano ecosystem will also help create a more integrated, efficient healthcare sector powered by decentralized technology.
[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?
Our Capability to Deliver the Project:
Our team has a strong track record in delivering blockchain-based solutions and managing large-scale, compliant digital infrastructure projects. We have extensive experience in building decentralized systems, integrating secure data management solutions, and ensuring that projects adhere to data privacy regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
- Blockchain Expertise:
- Our blockchain development team has successfully deployed smart contract-based platforms in various industries, including healthcare and finance. We have a deep understanding of Cardano’s architecture, which allows us to leverage its proof-of-stake consensus for scalable and secure data management. Our experience in building decentralized applications (dApps) gives us the technical advantage to deliver a highly secure and efficient platform for patient record management.
- Healthcare and Data Privacy Knowledge:
- We are collaborating with healthcare professionals and legal advisors who specialize in healthcare compliance. This ensures that our solution meets the stringent regulatory requirements for managing sensitive health data. Our prior work in healthcare technology includes the successful development of digital health platforms, giving us valuable insight into the real-world requirements and challenges faced by healthcare providers and patients alike.
- Legal and Compliance Frameworks:
- We have strong partnerships with legal experts to navigate the complex landscape of healthcare regulations and data protection laws. This includes ensuring our solution complies with GDPR and HIPAA, guaranteeing privacy and security for patient records on a global scale. Our team is fully versed in working with legal compliance frameworks, which is critical for operating in regulated industries like healthcare.
Processes for Managing Trust and Accountability:
We understand the importance of managing funds with a high degree of trust and accountability. To ensure this, we follow transparent financial management processes and best practices for project oversight.
- Transparent Financial Management:
- We will allocate the 120,000 ADA funding according to a well-defined budget, ensuring each phase of the project has clear and dedicated funding. Our finance team will provide monthly financial reports that outline spending against the approved budget. These reports will be made available to Project Catalyst for full transparency.
- Milestone-Based Fund Allocation:
- Funds will be released incrementally according to the milestones outlined in the project plan. This ensures that progress is tracked against deliverables, and only after each milestone is completed will further funds be allocated. Each milestone will have acceptance criteria that can be verified by both our internal team and external stakeholders.
- External Auditing and Accountability:
- We will engage an independent auditor to review our financial records and ensure that funds are spent in accordance with the project’s goals. This audit will be part of the final project close-out report, demonstrating our commitment to accountability and proper fund management.
- Project Management Tools:
- We use agile project management methodologies to ensure that the project stays on track. Tools like JIRA and Trello will be used to track development progress, and weekly sprints will allow us to rapidly adapt to any changes. These tools also provide a transparent view of progress, ensuring that all team members and stakeholders are aligned on deliverables and timelines.
Validating the Feasibility of Our Approach:
We believe our approach is not only feasible but well-suited to the global healthcare landscape. Here are the steps we will take to validate the project’s feasibility:
- Proven Technical Feasibility:
- The Cardano blockchain is well-known for its scalability and security, making it an ideal platform for handling the sensitive data associated with patient records. Our development team has a strong grasp of Cardano’s Plutus smart contract language, allowing us to implement secure and efficient solutions for patient data sharing and access control.
- We have already developed a proof-of-concept that demonstrates the feasibility of managing patient data on blockchain technology, including secure encryption, smart contract automation, and API integration with healthcare systems.
- Real-World Testing with Healthcare Providers:
- Our project will include a pilot phase with healthcare institutions to ensure the platform works in real-world settings. During this phase, we will gather valuable feedback from healthcare professionals and patients, ensuring that the system is practical, user-friendly, and compliant with healthcare workflows.
- The success of the pilot will serve as proof of concept, allowing us to iterate and improve the platform based on real-world use before global deployment.
- Ongoing Security and Privacy Audits:
- Security is critical to the project’s success, and we will conduct third-party security audits to validate that our blockchain infrastructure meets the necessary standards for data protection and privacy.
- By engaging with external security firms, we will ensure the system is secure, compliant, and ready for deployment in highly regulated industries.
- Scalability for Global Adoption:
- Our technical architecture is designed to be scalable from the outset, allowing for global adoption as the platform grows. We are using Cardano’s highly efficient and scalable infrastructure, ensuring that it can handle millions of patient records while maintaining low transaction costs and high throughput.
Our team has the experience, technical expertise, and legal know-how to deliver Global Health on the Blockchain with high levels of trust, accountability, and feasibility. Our transparent fund management process, combined with robust project oversight and external auditing, ensures that funds will be used effectively to deliver a solution that not only benefits healthcare but also promotes the adoption of Cardano as a leading blockchain for real-world applications.
[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?
Research & Legal Compliance
Timeline: Month 1-2
Acceptance Criteria:
- Conduct comprehensive research on global healthcare data regulations including HIPAA, GDPR, and any other relevant regional requirements.
- Draft legal compliance framework to ensure the platform adheres to data privacy laws across various jurisdictions.
- Secure legal consultation to confirm the regulatory pathway and finalize compliance strategy.
- Develop a detailed technical roadmap, outlining the core functionalities of the blockchain infrastructure, smart contracts, and data security mechanisms.
- Deliverables: Legal compliance report, technical roadmap, and formal agreement with legal advisors.
Blockchain Platform Development
Timeline: Month 3-6
Acceptance Criteria:
- Complete the development of the blockchain infrastructure for secure, encrypted storage of patient records.
- Build smart contracts that handle patient data access, including mechanisms for patients to control their information and grant healthcare providers permission.
- Develop APIs that integrate with existing healthcare databases and EHR systems.
- Conduct internal testing of the blockchain and smart contracts to ensure functionality, scalability, and security.
- Deliverables: Working version of the blockchain platform, fully tested smart contracts, integrated APIs.
Pilot Testing and Feedback Integration
Timeline: Month 7-9
Acceptance Criteria:
- Partner with selected healthcare providers to implement a pilot program for real-world testing with a controlled group of patients and healthcare professionals.
- Collect feedback on usability, data security, and interoperability of the platform.
- Refine and improve the platform based on pilot program results, ensuring the system is optimized for scalability and global adoption.
- Conduct additional security audits to address any vulnerabilities identified during testing.
- Deliverables: Pilot test report, updated platform based on feedback, security audit report.
Full Launch and Marketing Campaign
Timeline: Month 10-12
Acceptance Criteria:
- Officially launch the platform to global healthcare networks, focusing on hospitals, clinics, and medical research institutions.
- Execute a marketing and outreach campaign to drive adoption, targeting healthcare decision-makers and policymakers.
- Set up ongoing technical support and monitoring systems to ensure smooth operations post-launch.
- Launch a public relations strategy to educate stakeholders on the platform’s benefits and engage with the healthcare community through conferences, webinars, and case studies.
- Deliverables: Live platform, marketing and outreach report, PR campaign results, user adoption statistics.
Project Close-Out Report and Video
Timeline: Month 12+
Acceptance Criteria:
- Prepare a comprehensive project report detailing the development process, outcomes, and lessons learned.
- Create a project close-out video summarizing the impact of the platform, user testimonials, and adoption success stories.
- Compile user adoption metrics, platform performance data, and detailed analysis of healthcare providers’ feedback post-launch.
- Submit all final reports and video to Project Catalyst.
- Deliverables: Project close-out report, close-out video, platform performance data, and user feedback documentation.
[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?
Tsedeniya Fikadu Mulugeta – Team Leader:
Tsedeniya Fikadu Mulugeta brings a wealth of experience in both blockchain technology and project management, making her the ideal leader for the Global Health on the Blockchain project. With a proven track record in managing complex tech-driven healthcare projects, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to deliver innovative solutions while maintaining a strong focus on security and compliance.
Tsedeniya’s expertise lies in:
- Strategic Leadership: She has led multiple blockchain implementation projects from conception to deployment, successfully navigating the technical, legal, and operational challenges involved in integrating cutting-edge technology with existing systems.
- Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: Tsedeniya has a strong understanding of both blockchain infrastructure and healthcare workflows, allowing her to bridge the gap between developers, healthcare professionals, and legal teams. Her ability to foster collaboration across these areas is essential for the success of this project.
- Compliance and Regulation: With a deep knowledge of data privacy laws like HIPAA and GDPR, Tsedeniya ensures that all aspects of the project adhere to the necessary regulations, instilling confidence in healthcare institutions adopting the platform.
- User-Centric Design: Her focus on user experience guarantees that the platform will be not only technologically robust but also intuitive and easy to use for both patients and healthcare providers.
Her leadership will be key to delivering a platform that meets the high standards required for healthcare data management while leveraging the power of Cardano’s blockchain technology.
Blockchain Developers:
- Role: Building decentralized infrastructure and developing smart contracts that securely store and manage patient data.
- Expertise: Our developers have extensive experience working with Cardano’s smart contract platform and have successfully implemented blockchain-based solutions in industries like healthcare and finance.
Healthcare Experts:
- Role: Providing insights into the functionality and integration of the platform with existing healthcare systems (e.g., EHRs and patient data management systems).
- Expertise: With experience in healthcare operations and digital health systems, these experts will ensure that the platform meets the needs of healthcare providers and fits seamlessly into their workflows.
Legal Advisors:
- Role: Ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and other regional data privacy laws.
- Expertise: Our legal advisors specialize in healthcare law and data privacy, providing guidance on how to navigate the complex regulatory landscape for managing sensitive health records.
UI/UX Designers:
- Role: Developing a user-friendly interface for both patients and healthcare providers, ensuring an intuitive and seamless experience for all users.
- Expertise: Our design team focuses on creating interfaces that are accessible and easy to use, particularly in healthcare settings where ease of access and data security are critical.
[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
- Platform Development: 50,000 ADA
- This includes the cost of building the blockchain infrastructure, developing the smart contracts for secure data sharing, and integrating APIs with existing healthcare systems. Development also includes data encryption mechanisms and backend services for storing and accessing encrypted patient data.
- The team required for this phase includes blockchain developers, backend engineers, and API specialists.
2.Legal Compliance: 20,000 ADA
- To ensure adherence to global health data regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in the U.S. and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe, legal compliance will cover the costs of hiring legal advisors. These experts will guide the development process to ensure the platform is compliant with local and international data privacy laws.
- This budget will also include consultations on data privacy and regulatory approval in different jurisdictions.
3.Pilot Testing and Feedback Integration: 30,000 ADA
- For the pilot testing phase, we will partner with healthcare providers to implement the platform with a small group of users (patients and healthcare professionals). This will involve setting up test environments, monitoring performance, and gathering user feedback.
- The costs include providing support for healthcare partners during the pilot, handling operational costs such as server hosting, and iterating on the platform based on real-world feedback to enhance usability and security.
4. Marketing and Outreach: 20,000 ADA
- A portion of the funds will be allocated to promote the platform to global healthcare institutions, conduct educational campaigns around the benefits of blockchain for healthcare, and onboard early adopters.
- This will include website development, content creation, public relations efforts, and social media campaigns aimed at raising awareness among stakeholders in the healthcare industry, both locally and internationally.
[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?
[VALUE FOR MONEY] How Does the Project Represent Value for the Cardano Ecosystem?:
Global Health on the Blockchain represents exceptional value by leveraging Cardano’s blockchain technology to address critical challenges in the healthcare industry, such as patient data security, interoperability, and privacy. The total requested funding of 120,000 ADA is strategically allocated across the platform's development, legal compliance, pilot testing, and marketing, ensuring that resources are efficiently utilized to deliver a high-impact solution that will drive Cardano’s adoption in a new, global industry.
- Platform Development Costs (50,000 ADA):
- This figure covers the development of smart contracts, blockchain infrastructure, and API integration. Given the complexity of healthcare data systems and the need for secure, decentralized architecture, the costs align with typical industry rates for blockchain developers and backend engineers who specialize in healthcare tech.
- By allocating a significant portion to development, we ensure the creation of a robust, scalable solution that meets the highest standards of security and usability, essential for healthcare institutions.
2.Legal Compliance Costs (20,000 ADA):
- Ensuring compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and other regional health data regulations requires specialized legal expertise, which justifies the allocation. Legal compliance is crucial for ensuring that the system is trusted by healthcare providers and regulatory bodies, and is legally viable in all the regions where it will be deployed.
- These costs reflect market rates for healthcare compliance experts and legal consultations, a necessary investment to ensure long-term sustainability of the platform.
3.Pilot Testing and Feedback Integration (30,000 ADA):
- Engaging with healthcare providers for real-world testing is vital for refining the platform and ensuring its practical applicability. This phase includes operational costs for hosting, technical support, and compensating participants during testing.
- The allocation of funds here reflects the need for a high-quality pilot program, which will ensure that the platform is ready for global adoption with minimal risk.
4.Marketing and Outreach Costs (20,000 ADA):
- A dedicated marketing budget is essential to raise awareness among healthcare institutions, policymakers, and the general public about the potential of blockchain in healthcare. This will be used to build web presence, create educational content, and run campaigns to drive adoption in a competitive industry.
- These costs are proportional to the typical rates for marketing and outreach in the health tech space, and will ensure a well-planned launch that reaches key stakeholders globally.
Why These Costs Represent Value for Money:
The requested funds are well-justified, given the high impact this project will have on global healthcare systems and the Cardano ecosystem. The breakdown is based on industry-standard rates for blockchain development, legal compliance, and marketing, ensuring that every ADA is efficiently allocated to deliver a secure, scalable, and compliant solution. By solving a real-world problem in a high-impact sector, Global Health on the Blockchain will foster long-term growth for Cardano by proving its value in industries beyond finance, contributing to the ecosystem’s sustainability and reputation as a leader in decentralized innovation.