Ensuring the security and privacy of information in mobile health-care communication systems

Authors

  • Ademola Adesina Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape
  • Kehinde Agbele Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape
  • Ronald Februarie Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape
  • Ademola Abidoye Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape
  • Henry Nyongesa Department of Computer Science, University of the Western Cape

Keywords:

electronic patient records, digital watermarking, steganography, mobile devices, security, health care

Abstract

The sensitivity of health-care information and its accessibility via the Internet and mobile technology systems is a cause for concern in these modern times. The privacy, integrity and confidentiality of a patient's data are key factors to be considered in the transmission of medical information for use by authorised health-care personnel. Mobile communication has enabled medical consultancy, treatment, drug administration and the provision of laboratory results to take place outside the hospital. With the implementation of electronic patient records and the Internet and Intranets, medical information sharing amongst relevant health-care providers was made possible. But the vital issue in this method of information sharing is security: the patient's privacy, as well as the confidentiality and integrity of the health-care information system, should not be compromised. We examine various ways of ensuring the security and privacy of a patient's electronic medical information in order to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information.

Published

2011-09-02

Issue

Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

Adesina, A., Agbele, K., Februarie, R., Abidoye, A., & Nyongesa, H. (2011). Ensuring the security and privacy of information in mobile health-care communication systems. South African Journal of Science, 107(9/10), 7 pages. https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9988
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