A blockchain privacy-conserving framework for secure medical data transmission in the internet of medical things

Abstract

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has transformed healthcare, collecting and transmitting vast medical data. This study proposes an innovative solution, integrating blockchain into IoMT within a fog-cloud computing framework for secure medical data transmission. The blockchain-based zero-trust system ensures reliable data auditing and Electronic Health Repository (EHR) protection. New blockchain entries atop prior blocks deter tampering, with Quad Merkle tree and zero-knowledge proof encryption ensuring data integrity and privacy. The multi-critic deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm optimizes task-offloading decisions in the fog-cloud layer. Security analyses validate its effectiveness, improving computing efficiency and ensuring data fidelity and privacy. These findings position the system as a promising solution for enhancing medical data security and integrity in edge-fog cloud environments, aligning with evolving healthcare technology demands.