Secure Patient Data Transfer Using Information Embedding and Hyperchaos.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Information Security
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Health 4.0 virtualizes healthcare using electronic health records (EHRs) and sensor data.
• Security of EHRs in smart health systems is a critical challenge for Health 4.0 implementation.
• Existing methods lack robust security and reversible embedding for sensitive medical data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a secure and reversible method for embedding EHRs in cover images for Health 4.0.
• To enhance the security of EHRs through a dual-layer protection scheme.
• To improve the quality of cover media for reversible data embedding.

Main Methods:

• Developed a new interpolation scheme for generating high-quality cover images.
• Employed hyperchaos encryption for securing EHR data.
• Reversibly embedded encrypted EHRs and a fragile watermark (WM) into cover images.
• Evaluated performance using Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and other metrics.

Main Results:

• Achieved an average PSNR of 52.38 dB at a high payload of 0.75 bits per pixel.
• The proposed interpolation scheme produced superior quality interpolated images.
• The system demonstrated improved imperceptibility, reversibility, payload capacity, and computational complexity compared to existing techniques.
• Successfully implemented tamper detection and authentication using a fragile watermark.

Conclusions:

• The proposed scheme offers enhanced security and reversible embedding for EHRs in Health 4.0 environments.
• The method provides a robust solution for protecting sensitive medical data during transmission.
• The system is particularly effective for high-contrast medical images, outperforming other techniques.