The multi-state information system: frontend processing and data security

The Multi-State Information System (MSIS), a patient oriented, clinical and administrative system designed for use in Psychiatric hospitals and Community Mental Health Centers, is currently in use in twelve states and several countries. The need to protect the confidentiality of the highly sensitive data stored by the users of this system and at the same time provide ease of access to a wide range of non-technical personnel actively engaged in the legitimate use of this data was mandatory. This paper describes the MSIS FRONTEND processing which was designed to accommodate authorized personnel who are not technically sophisticated, and at the same time, deny access to unauthorized personnel by combining the FRONTEND with internal OS and HASP modifications also described.