Ever heard of MUMPS? Both programming language and database, it was developed in the 1960s for the Massachusetts General Hospital. The goal was to streamline the increasingly enormous timesink that information and records management had become, a problem that was certain to grow unless something was done. Far from being some historical footnote, MUMPS (Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System) grew to be used by a wide variety of healthcare facilities and still runs today. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re in luck because [Asianometry] has a documentary video that’ll tell you everything.
MUMPS had rough beginnings but ultimately found widespread support and use that continues to this day. As a programming language, MUMPS (also known simply as “M”) has the unusual feature of very tight integration with the database end of things. That makes sense in light of the fact that it was created to streamline the gathering, processing, and updating of medical data in a busy, multi-user healthcare environment that churned along twenty-four hours per day.
It may show its age (the term “archaic” — among others — gets used when it’s brought up) but it is extremely good at what it does and has a proven track record in the health care industry. This, combined with the fact that efforts to move to newer electronic record systems always seem to find the job harder than expected, have helped keep it relevant. Have you ever used MUMPS? Let us know in the comments!
The Future of Electronic Health Records with Blockchain — Security, Interoperability, and True Patient Ownership
Electronic health record systems are the backbone of modern healthcare. But today’s electronic medical record systems are often siloed, insecure, and frustrating for both providers and patients. Records are lost between hospitals, insurers face delays, and patients rarely feel in control of their own data.
The Future of Electronic Health Records with Blockchain — Security, Interoperability, and True Patient Ownership
Blockchain technology in healthcare is changing that. By enabling secure, interoperable, and transparent blockchain health records, blockchain creates a future where patients truly own their data — and healthcare businesses gain efficiency, compliance, and trust.
Why Blockchain is the Future of EHRs
Traditional electronic health care systems are centralized and vulnerable. Data breaches cost the healthcare industry billions each year, while interoperability in healthcare between standards like FHIR healthcare and HL7 remains a challenge.
Blockchain for health records solves these problems by offering:
🔐 Immutable Security — Every transaction is encrypted and tamper-proof.
🔗 Healthcare on blockchain ensures smooth integration across EMR/EHR, insurers, and telemedicine platforms.
👩⚕️ Blockchain patient records allow individuals to grant or revoke access with full transparency.
How Healthcare Businesses Benefit
For hospitals, insurers, and MedTech companies, blockchain and health care isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a strategic investment.
Cost Efficiency: Automation for insurance reduces paperwork and administrative costs.
Fraud Prevention: Blockchain in the insurance industry ensures tamper-proof data and eliminates duplicate claims.
Compliance Advantage: GDPR, HIPAA, and zero-trust frameworks are easier with blockchain technology for healthcare.
ROI & Growth: Faster claims, reduced disputes, and data-driven decision-making powered by blockchain applications for healthcare data management.
📱 Building telemedicine application development solutions with consent, e-Rx, and privacy-first design.
💼 Proven healthcare app development services integrated with blockchain in healthcare.
⚙️ From idea to deployment, we offer healthcare mobile application development that ensures measurable ROI.
Conclusion: A Patient-Centric Future
With blockchain technology in healthcare, businesses gain efficiency, fraud protection, and compliance — while patients enjoy faster claims, stronger privacy, and true ownership of their data.
Millions of medical images floating around the web?
Cyber security researchers recently found that hospitals are leaving millions of private medical images electronically accessible by way of insecure storage practices. Over 45 million medical images from scans such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans are stored on unsecured servers and storage devices.
On top of patient privacy concerns, cybercriminals could steal the data on these systems to blackmail individuals. Hackers could also leverage these under-secured servers to execute ransomware attacks on healthcare facilities.
In the past few months, we’ve seen an alarming increase in the number of healthcare groups hit with ransomware attacks. A key US healthcare system recently enacted EHR downtime procedures after falling victim to a ransomware related ruse. A string of strikes has shut down a variety of health focused organizations across the past few months, impacting over 60 providers and more than 500 facilities.
What happens if these images are inaccessible to those who need them?
These millions of medical files may be needed for clinical decision-making purposes. Without on-demand access, people may receive sub-standard healthcare and may suffer through serious consequences.
Medical groups may be using outdated technologies that leave patients and their data vulnerable. Healthcare security budgets are often stretched thin and organizations may resist purchasing new equipment or even investing in better security.
In one recent example, 45 million unique cases of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) exposed. Further, researchers found malicious scripts on several servers, indicating that malicious actors had already accessed the unsecured devices.
It goes without saying, cyber security in the healthcare sector needs to be a top priority, especially as these organizations are at the frontline of this global pandemic.
How can your healthcare group improve security?
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommends following best practices, from proper segmentation to explicit access rules. For additional insights into securing the healthcare sector, check out Cyber Talk’s healthcare-focused whitepapers and solutions briefs.
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