EMRs with Blockchain : A distributed democratised Electronic Medical Record sharing platform

TL;DR

This paper proposes a blockchain-based platform using Hyperledger Fabric and InterPlanetary File System to securely and privately share electronic medical records across healthcare institutions, enhancing interoperability and data ownership.

Contribution

It introduces a novel distributed medical data sharing solution combining blockchain and IPFS to improve privacy, security, and cross-institutional access to medical records.

Findings

Enhanced data security and privacy through blockchain access control

Improved interoperability across healthcare organizations

Empowered patients with data ownership and sharing capabilities

Abstract

Medical data sharing needs to be done with the utmost respect for privacy and security. It contains intimate data of the patient and any access to it must be highly regulated. With the emergence of vertical solutions in healthcare institutions, interoperability across organisations has been hindered. The authors of this paper propose a blockchain based medical-data sharing solution, utilising Hyperledger Fabric to regulate access to medical data, and using the InterPlanatory File System for its storage. We believe that the combination of these two distributed solutions can enable patients to access their medical records across healthcare institutions while ensuring non-repudiation, immutability and providing data-ownership. It would enable healthcare practitioners to access all previous medical records in a single location, empowering them with the data required for the effective diagnosis and treatment of patients. Making it safe and straightforward, it would also enable patients to share medical data with research institutions, leading to the creation of reliable data sets, laying the groundwork required for the creation of personalised medicine.