Securing patient data in the healthcare industry: A blockchain-driven protocol with advanced encryption

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Information Security
• Healthcare Technology

Background:

• Patient data security is paramount in healthcare due to increased electronic record usage.
• Confidentiality concerns limit data sharing among stakeholders.
• Development of secure data sharing protocols is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, highly secure protocol for protecting patient health information.
• To integrate blockchain technology, biometrics, and advanced cryptography for data security.
• To ensure secure data access, sharing, and privacy within healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• Developed a protocol integrating blockchain, patient biometrics, and cryptographic algorithms (ECC, AEC).
• Implemented secure login, key sharing, and data sharing mechanisms.
• Conducted informal security analysis and formal validation using Scyther tool.

Main Results:

• A secure protocol for medical record storage and sharing using blockchain and ECC was developed.
• The protocol addresses all stages from setup to inter-miner communication, prioritizing security.
• Both informal proofs and formal Scyther simulations confirmed the protocol's resilience against attacks.

Conclusions:

• The proposed protocol offers a practical, real-time solution for safeguarding patient data in healthcare.
• This contributes significantly to enhancing data security and privacy in the medical domain.