Design science research towards resilient cyber-physical eHealth systems

Jyri Rajamäki,Rauno Pirinen

doi:10.23996/fjhw.61000

Abstract

Most eHealth systems are cyber-physical systems (CPSs) making safety-critical decisions based on information from other systems not known during development. In this design science research, a conceptual resilience governance framework for eHealth CPSs is built utilizing 1) cybersecurity initiatives, standards and frameworks, 2) science of design for software-intensive systems and 3) empowering cyber trust and resilience. According to our study, a resilient CPS consists of two sub-systems: the proper resilient system and the situational awareness system. In a system of CPSs, three networks are composed: platform, software and social network. The resilient platform network is the basis on which information sharing between stakeholders could be created via software layers. However, the trust inside social networks quantifies the pieces of information that will be shared - and with whom. From citizens’ point of view, eHealth is wholeness in which requirements of information security hold true. Present procedures emphasize confidentiality at the expense of integrity and availability, and regulations/instructions are used as an excuse not to change even vital information. The mental-picture of cybersecurity should turn from “threat, crime, attack” to “trust” and “resilience”. Creating confidence in safe digital future is truly needed in the integration of the digital and physical world’s leading to a new digital revolution. The precondition for the exchange of information “trust” must be systematically built at every CPS’ level. In health sector, increasingly interconnected social, technical and economic networks create large complex CPSs, and risk assessment of many individual components becomes cost and time prohibitive. When no-one can control all aspects of CPSs, protection-based risk management is not enough to help prepare for and prevent consequences of foreseeable events, but resilience must be built into systems to help them quickly recover and adapt when adverse events do occur.

Highlights

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are a subset of sociotechnical systems that provide seamless integration between computational, human and physical elements [1]
Critical eHealth systems (e.g. Health Information systems; Clinical data repositories; Authentication server; Laboratory Information Systems; Radiology Information Systems; Picture Archiving and Communication Systems; Electronic Health Record components; Patient Health Record service; ePrescription service) are CPSs making safety-critical decisions based on information from other systems not known during development
Study revealed that eHealth is the high-value growing field that is fast expanding as it is motivated by information and communication systems support to vary health vacancies and doctors can expressively improve the quality of the entire health care by improving the excellence of care with often lowered economical extents

Summary

Introduction

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are a subset of sociotechnical systems that provide seamless integration between computational, human and physical elements [1]. To achieve the trust of users, measures of safety have to be taken into consideration in accordance with the "privacy by design" approach. This requires secure storage of information and guaranteeing safe exchange of data preventing unauthorized access, loss of data and cyberattacks.

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Results

Conclusion