Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGDMeDiTwin enables secure, decentralized, yet intuitive management of sensitive health data through digital twins. Patients and medical professionals retain control over access rights—supported by visualizations and user-friendly interfaces.
Secure management of sensitive health data
With the increasing use of health apps, smartphones, and biosensors, patients are becoming more involved in their own healthcare. MeDiTwin is designed to support them in managing their personal health data autonomously. The core of the concept is a digital twin that virtually represents a patient’s health information—from lab results and imaging data to treatment histories. The goal is to enable patients and healthcare professionals to manage access rights in a privacy-compliant and transparent way.
Instead of storing health data centrally in a single system—such as in a cloud—the data is encrypted and stored in a decentralized manner. The major advantage: even in the event of a cyberattack, the data cannot be fully compromised. Only authorized individuals can access precisely defined pieces of information.
More control and acceptance through visualization
In addition to technical security, user-friendliness is a key focus: patients should be able to understand where their data is stored and who has access to it. Interactive dashboards also show which pieces of information are relevant for medical decisions. Data protection information, consent forms, and details about data usage are presented in a clear and understandable way in MeDiTwin, helping patients build trust in the handling of their sensitive health data.
Doctors, in turn, can request specific types of data and, for example, analyze disease progressions through trend curves. In the future, medical imaging data will also be supplemented with additional information such as doctor’s comments, measurements, or notes about what is visible in the image—enhancing patients’ understanding of their illnesses.
The researchers are testing the current development status using real-world applications such as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, Parkinson’s disease, and nephrology-related issues. However, the underlying system is flexible and can be adapted to other medical conditions as well. The goal is a practical solution that can evolve with new legal regulations and technological developments.
