Asymmetric cryptography using a pair of keys of which one is made public (the public key) and the other is kept confidential (the private key). It is impossible to derive the private key from the public key. The public key is used to encrypt information, while the corresponding private key is necessary to decrypt the ciphertext. Some schemes allow for signing information (with the private key), and verifying the signature (with the corresponding public key).
Published in Chapter:
Commercial Home Assistance Services
Milica Milutinovic (K.U.Leuven, Belgium), Koen Decroix (Katholieke Hogeschool Sint – Lieven, Belgium), Vincent Naessens (Katholieke Hogeschool Sint – Lieven, Belgium), and Bart De Decker (K.U.Leuven, Belgium)
Copyright: © 2013
|Pages: 24
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-3990-4.ch008
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors describe the software architecture of a commercially run home assistance system that allows patients or elderly people to stay longer at home. Since such systems often have to handle sensitive medical information, the protection of the privacy is a major concern. In addition, legislation often restricts access to health information to qualified persons (i.e. medical personnel), who are not always available in a commercial setting. The home assistance system can offer several services, ranging from scheduling necessary tasks and following up their execution, to monitoring the patient’s health status and responding promptly to requests for help or in case of emergency situations, and all this without the need to maintain personal medical data or identifying information about patients and caregivers in the home assistance centre.