Ohio Entrepreneur Develops Technology that Allows Patients Control Over Their Healthcare Records
ATHENS, Ohio, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- An Ohio entrepreneur is introducing a product designed to give people control over their own medical records. As CEO for a start-up company known as SEED Protocol LLC, Tom Reid is launching a new business that will empower individuals to manage, review, and protect their healthcare files, delivering a quantum leap over today's insecure methods.
The SEED Protocol – the Secure Exchange of Encrypted Data – will enable people to protect their own health records by storing them in a private Cloud Lockbox, secured with personalized locks. Each person controls their own keys, deciding who has access and monitoring their use.
The benefits of the product to healthcare consumers are numerous. The more involved we are in our own care, the better our health will be, a logical conclusion confirmed by numerous scientific studies. "It is tough to remember everything your doctor says during a brief appointment. Access to your own records gives you the opportunity to review and to learn, and to catch mistakes that have unfortunately become widespread in digital healthcare records," explained Reid.
The SEED Protocol will give patients the unprecedented ability to access their healthcare records online anytime, from anywhere; and to manage them to optimize health outcomes, to keep them secure and to ensure that they are being used appropriately.
"I certainly want to know who sees my healthcare information – today I have no idea," said Reid. Federal law has pushed healthcare providers to create digital versions of our medical records and now requires that the data be shared with the wide spectrum of providers involved in our care. "Right now thousands of people who are not involved in your care have access to your health records. The SEED Protocol puts each of us in control over this most sensitive of personal information," added Reid.
While Reid sees the benefits as being especially useful for those with chronic conditions, he believes that everyone—even those in excellent health—can benefit. Preventative healthcare is a key to alleviating and avoiding chronic disease and illnesses. "This tool will help even the most health-conscious among us to better monitor their personal fitness and health," Reid explained. "You will be able to link fitness trackers and vital sign monitors to your Cloud Lockbox, providing an easy way to share this information with your physicians while still protecting your privacy," he added.
The SEED Protocol can enhance privacy beyond the healthcare industry. Reid explains that the invention will "improve security and control in any situation where data needs to be both secure and shared." For instance, he envisions the technology being deployed to support the real estate, legal, product development and scientific research industries.
Across all of these uses, the SEED Protocol provides an easy-to-use solution, transparently integrating into the applications already used today. "You decide who has access, to what and for how long. Plus the Watchdog feature will halt unauthorized attempts to access your information."
The SEED Protocol seeks to improve the foundation of our digital lives. "From insurance company hacks to the breach of major retailers, the flaws in the Internet have become all too familiar," Reid said.
Reid plans a crowdfunding campaign in the near future to raise the funds necessary to support continued development of his patent-pending invention. "Our privacy should not be expensive," he explains, so early supporters will get special pricing with licenses starting as low as $10. To learn more visit the SEED-Protocol.org