The pandemic has had many people bed ridden while industries have been paralyzed. Schools have been shut and many have been unable to go to work. IBM Watson Health is making a contribution to improving the situation by offering a solution that will help people go back to school or work more safely.
IBM Health Pass
The IBM Digital Health Pass allows users to share their verified pass established on criteria such as; conditional test results without exposing the data used to generate it. The Vice-president of Blockchain at IBM Watson Health, Eric Piscini says that the solution would foster trust and transparency as people seek to get their lives back even as the pandemic rages on.
“We believe that trust and transparency remain paramount when developing a platform like a digital health passport, or any solution that handles sensitive personal information, and we remain committed to this philosophy as we continue to build solutions to help support organizations during the current public health crisis.”
Bracing for a slow return to normalcy
Using technology for a smooth transition as people seek to get back to normalcy is becoming a major talking point. Technology enabled testing as well as tracing capability has ramped up in the US, to help see how a post lockdown world can be navigated. Paul Roma, general manager, IBM Watson Health, at the HLTH VRTL 2020 conference, said that a return to public spaces was going to be gradual.
“The shift back to public spaces is a slow journey at best. In order for us to get back to the activities we love. We’ll need new innovations, new approaches and new technologies.”
According to the IBM website, users will manage their information through an encrypted digital wallet, or a smartphone. Users will be able to control what they share, while organizations can determine responses for health statuses and design business rules.
When health data becomes available, individuals can scan a QR Code and add that information to a digital wallet. The data will be stored by that individual, and not the organizations requiring health standards.
“Because organizations may tailor the criteria of the health status, an individual’s health status may vary from place to place. For example, an airline may have a more stringent system for establishing wellness status for passengers boarding a plane than a restaurant may have for diners seeking outdoor seating” explained Eric Piscini
Digital health passport
Normalcy is not just being sought within borders; people also want to travel overseas again safely. Trials are underway for a digital health passport that would allow travellers document their Covid-19 status electronically and present it when they board a plane or cross a border.
The passes will be verified against the blockchain to confirm authenticity and validity. Image Courtesy of Pexels
