Application of Blockchain for Data Security in the
Healthcare Sector

Application of Blockchain for Data Security in the Healthcare Sector

A review paper handling the possible applications of blockchain technology in the healthcare industry to ensure data security

An Abstract

The past year and a half have been life-changing in almost every sense of the word. The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the delicateness of the current system and how easily everything can be put into disarray. The healthcare system has undoubtedly been one of the hardest-hit industries and has forced us to rethink the strategy from the ground up. We believe that patients should manage their health records from anywhere globally, access them and share them with any healthcare professional securely. Direct access to large datasets and an infrastructure capable of handling it might just be the difference needed to prevent a deadly disease outbreak from becoming a pandemic. The current technology employed in healthcare does not meet these requirements. Therefore, we deem it fit to elaborate on the application of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector, starting with a basic introduction and the history and background of the technology before delving deep into the technicalities.

The paper elaborates on the working of the blockchain and the integration of blockchain and quantum security in healthcare. Since the operation of blockchain is heavily reliant on cryptography, its various forms are discussed, focusing on hash functions in its implementation. Though the initial applications of blockchain were restricted to the financial industry and cryptocurrencies, in recent years, it has been utilised in the healthcare sector to construct EHRs, in neuroscience, and for clinical trials, among other things. Scalability, storage capacity, privacy concerns, and interoperability are just a few of the challenges that have plagued blockchain. Then we look at the solutions that have been adopted or are in the works. We then discuss the conclusion and its futuristic potential.

Read the full review paper here

This review paper is fully researched and written by Yash Dhaga, Tarun Pakhare, Siddhant Gupta, Khushi Singh, Udeet Mittal, and Garima Kejriwal. They are Management Committee members of Manipal Information Security Team.