Blockchain-based Electronic Health Record System in India

Abstract

In existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems clinical data is controlled by different medical institutions and different hospitals which leads to difficulties in information sharing. Cloud-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems solve the problem of data sharing but these systems have a centralized server which is a huge drawback in terms of interoperability. This paper proposes a blockchain-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) system architecture. This architecture could reinvent the Indian healthcare system and could provide a much more accurate, authentic, and secure system over a decentralized peer-to-peer network. The proposed architecture follows a user-centric approach with interoperability between healthcare providers. The user-centric or patient-centric approach aims for a user to manage their health records across multiple healthcare institutions. The goal of this architecture is to develop a system that helps build a secure, trusted, and interoperable system that helps facilitate sharing of patient data securely. The system will ensure patient privacy protection and guarantee security with respect to the requirement for healthcare data management, including access control to the patient. The system also aims to ease the user's hardships and build a robust and secure architecture. It also aims to build a blockchain for EHRs, which overcomes the disadvantages of traditional EHR systems.