MS Patients and Doctors Have a New Way of Working Together

A new partnership between ARM and HeartToHeart Networks LLC has brought healthcare providers of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, a new and secure tool for remote health management.

The novel health management (RHM) solution combines technology from both companies. It uses mobile devices adapted with a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), part of ARM® TrustZone® technology, and the Structured Intelligence care management platform of HeartToHeart. The goal of this RHM is to help healthcare providers make more accurate decisions by providing trusted and precise patient-validated information.

“Trust is a crucial element in every medical undertaking,” said Karthik Ranjan, director of healthcare technology, ARM, in a press release. “Remote health management has the potential to change lives for patients and bring greater levels of efficiencies to the healthcare industry, but only if trust is ensured all the way from the medical sensor to the secure medical records system of the care team. Proven security technologies like ARM TrustZone can provide a trusted environment for data to move from patient to healthcare provider.”

The sharing of health information concerning a patient’s self-assessment and their healthcare providers, can help improve the optimal health multiple sclerosis patients. A close monitor of the patient’s health status, based on reliable information, can help healthcare providers decide on treatment alterations, new exams, or symptoms that need to be addressed. The new digital tool allows this sharing of information in a remote and secure way.

The system works by collecting patient physiological data through wellness and health devices like blood pressure monitors. As data moves from sensors to mobile devices it is encrypted by the ARM mbed™ TLS (Transport Layer Security) features. Once available on the device, TrustZone-enabled TEE ensures the data’s security and only the approved medical application can access the information. The patient also must validate the data before it is transmitted. Data is only accessed by both patients and providers via a secure user interface and touchscreen.

“Data security and confidentiality are always top-of-mind for those of us who are committed to enabling meaningful continuity and support for health among individuals and communities, especially for persons living with neurodegenerative conditions,” said Abhi Ray, CEO from HeartToHeart. “Just as a person’s health journey needs to be seen as a continuous flow, it has been an honor for us to work with partners like ARM who see the secure and trusted flow of personal health information as an end-to-end proposition.”

The companies expect this new, secure RHM solution to enhance the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders, and also to help healthcare providers with decision-making by enabling more accurate monitoring of symptoms and disease progression.