A Blockchain-based Service Provider Validation and Verification Framework for Healthcare Virtual Organization

Abstract

Virtual organization and blockchain are two newly emerging technologies that researchers are exploring their potentials to solve many information and communication technology unaddressed problems and challenges. Health care is one of the sectors that are very dynamic and it is in need of constant improvement in the quest to better the quality of cares and reduce cost. One of the hotline of research in the sector is the use of information and communication technology to provide health care and this is where the concept of virtual healthcare is relevant. In virtual healthcare patients and care providers are collaborating in virtual settings where two of the most difficult challenges are verifying and validating the identity of the communicating parties and the information exchanged. In this paper we propose a conceptual framework using blochchain technology to address the health care provider and record verification and validation issue. The framework is specific to healthcare systems developed based on Virtual Breeding Environment and Virtual Organization. We outline and explain each step in the framework and demonstrate its applicability in a simple healthcare scenario. This paper contributes towards the continuing effort to address user identity and information verification and validation issues in virtual settings in general and in healthcare in specific.