The Internet-of-Healthcare-Systems is a highly distributed special emulation of the Internet of Things technology using web agents as front-ends to the many and varied internal patient information systems of the participating hospitals, providing a canonical interface to all those diverse hospital systems. Extending on previously developed and distributed health care apps, blockchain technology has been applied for the storage of sensitive patient data that requires a high degree of security that is imperative for patient data and medical histories. Data sourced from participating hospitals are integrated with a decentralized storage system using blockchain technology, guaranteeing secure access and control, and veracity of that data over time. Web agents, accessed using the Message Queueing Telemetry Transport protocol, efficiently handle potentially thousands of recognised local systems without loss of network timeliness. Mobile device apps have been developed that enable secure direct access to patient data in a central blockchain with download capability to a mobile device, under strict access control using Amazon Web Services under fully managed access control, with permissions controlled by the Key Management System. The Internet-of-Healthcare-Systems model is an exemplar for many different types of secure networks that could be generically called an Internet of Special Things; a network of web agents programmed for a special purpose. Security analysis, and feedback from participating medical staff, indicates security improvements and a high level of satisfaction with all aspects of the system: ease of use, ease of installation, maintenance and update, and, importantly, the security of the system.
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