A team of Researchers from USC, UCLA, Emory, and Duke Received 150,000 USD for Blockchain-based Patient Data Exchange Platform
April 20, 2018: Providing leadership in the implementation of new developing technologies at the crossroads of public health emergency preparedness, health informatics, and resiliency, the Discovery Research Network’s Program in Resiliency and Emergency Preparedness, or Discovery-PREP, based at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and headed by principal investigator, Dr. J. Perren Cobb, is working with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Translational Science of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) on a project aimed at implementing connections using blockchain technology for the secure exchange of patient level data between four participating academic medical center sites (Emory University, Duke University, UCLA, and USC) in the Discovery-PREP network.
Essential to the performance of the project is Discovery-PREP’s Data Coordinating Center’s (DCC) IT Core based at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine and managed by Discovery PREP Program Director, Joan C. Brown, MBA and lead clinical engineer, Manas Bhatnagar, MHSc.
As part of its public health mission, the FDA is engaged in the monitoring and assessment of medical countermeasures (MCMs) that may be dispensed or administered in the event of a public health emergency. As part of this objective, the FDA is currently modifying an existing capability using blockchain technology called the Real Time Application for Portable Interactive Devices (RAPID) to enable exchange of pertinent health data within the Discovery-PREP network. The prospective RAPID Blockchain can be used for discovery, analysis, and bidirectional transfer of all data and coordination of the proposed large scale human activity that can inform decision-making at the physician, hospital, and federal level.
Faculty and Researchers
J. Perren Cobb, MD, FACS, FCCM Director, Surgical Critical Care Critical Care Institute, Keck Hospital of USC, Professor of Clinical Surgery & Anesthesiology, Keck Medicine of USC.
Joan C Brown, MBA, CCE, Chief Data Officer, DOS Analytics, Critical Care Institute, Keck Medical Center of USC, University of Southern California.
Manas Bhatnagar, MHSc, Associate Director, Data Analytics for Research & Performance, Department of Surgery, Keck Medical Center of USC, University of Southern California.
Henry L. Francis, M.D. Director, Data Mining and Informatics Evaluation and Research Team, Center for Translational Sciences Food and Drug Administration.
James M. Blum, MD, FCCM, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Chief, Critical Care, Department of Anesthesiology, Vice-Chair for Clinical Research, Department of Biomedical Informatics Medical Director, Emory ECMO Center and EUH 4a5a ICU.
Raquel Bartz MD, MMCI, Duke University Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Medicine Co-Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Division Chief of Critical Care Medicine Department of Anesthesia.
Daniel Z. Ulsan, MD UCLA Medical Center Assistant Clinical Professor, Director, Anitmicrobial Stewardship Program, Division of Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Medicine.
Ernesto David-DiMarino, UCLA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, Senior Director Enterprise Data and Business Analytics.
Hugh Gordon, Akido Labs, Inc., Chief Technical Officer.
Jared Goodner, Akido Labs, Inc., Chief Product Officer.