Applying Blockchain Technology to Security-Related Aspects of Electronic Healthcare Record Infrastructure

Ryno Adlam,Bertram Haskins

doi:10.23962/10539/32211

Abstract

The centralised architecture employed by electronic health records (EHRs) may constitute a single point of failure. From the perspective of availability, an alternative cloud-based EHR infrastructure is effective and efficient. However, this increased availability has created challenges related to the security and privacy of patients’ medical records. The sensitive nature of EHRs attracts the attention of cyber-criminals. There has been a rise in the number of data breaches related to EHRs. The infrastructure used by EHRs does not assure the privacy and security of patients’ medical records. Features of blockchain platforms, such as decentralisation, immutability, auditability, and transparency, may provide a viable means of augmenting or improving services related to the security of EHRs. This study presents a series of experimental data flow configurations to test the application of blockchain technology to aspects of EHRs. The insights gained from these experiments are founded on a theoretical base to provide recommendations for applying blockchain technology to services related to the security of EHR infrastructure. These recommendations may be employed by developers when redesigning existing EHR systems or deploying new EHR systems.

Highlights

An electronic health record (EHR) is the electronic equivalent of the medical history of a specific patient
EHR systems are subject to privacy regulations as they deal with patient information such as a patient’s medical history, vital signs, and demographic information, all of which are considered sensitive
The insights gained from these experiments were condensed into a series of recommendations for the application of blockchain technology to security-related services in EHRs

Summary

Introduction

An electronic health record (EHR) is the electronic equivalent of the medical history of a specific patient. Sensitive patient-related information is associated with an EHR, including information such as patient demographic details, medical history, and data points related to patient vital signs (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). This wealth of information makes EHRs lucrative targets for cybercriminals and, as a result, the number and severity of successful cyberattacks on EHRs are increasing (Ronquillo et al, 2018). The objective of this study is to present recommendations for applying blockchain technology to services related to the security of the electronic healthcare record infrastructure.

Background

Conclusions and future work