A robust authentication model using multi-channel communication for eHealth systems to enhance privacy and security

Abstract

In recent times, the electronic health record (eHealth) system is regarded as one of the biggest developments in healthcare domains. An eHealth system needs to be agile, reliable, and sustainable. Although the existing Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) systems are claimed to be fully controlled by the patients, there are ways where the healthcare professionals and the database/system operators can reveal the records of a patient. As a consequence, threats to the security of electronic health records are introduced. This necessitates strong and effective authentication and access control methods, especially in the cloud computing. In cloud computing, it is essential to admit that only authorized users are allowed to access the corresponding patients' records. There are many authentication schemes but they comprise vulnerable techniques. Furthermore, due to the sensitive nature of health data, the most important challenges lay towards the development of a model that guarantees data privacy and reliability, verifying that only authorized personnel can access their corresponding health data. Moreover, the security principle an eHealth system necessitates secure databases to secure health data. In this paper, we identify the challenges associated with the authentication issues relating to the health data, hence proposing a robust authentication scheme. The scheme also includes a hybrid access control model using multi-channel communication to enhance the security and privacy of the health data.