Encrypted, Anonymized System for Protected Health Information Verification Built via Proof of Stake

TL;DR

This paper introduces a decentralized, privacy-preserving system for verifying health information using a proof-of-stake blockchain, enabling universal validation while protecting individual PHI.

Contribution

It proposes a novel two-stage handshaking mechanism on proof-of-stake blockchain to securely store and validate Protected Health Information without central control.

Findings

System withstands a 1% disturbance attack with 923 participants

Protocol enables universal validation across jurisdictions

Ensures individual privacy and movement rights

Abstract

Digital Health Passes (DHP), systems of digitally validating quarantine and vaccination status such as the New York IBM Excelsior Pass, demonstrate a lawful means to approach some benefits offered by "true elimination" treatment strategies-which focus on the complete elimination of cases instead of investing more in controlling the progression of the disease-of COVID-19. Current implementations of DHPs require region-based control and central storage of Protected Health Information (PHI)-creating a challenge to widespread use across different jurisdictions with incompatible data management systems and a lack of standardized patient privacy controls. In this work, a mechanism for decentralized PHI storage and validation is proposed through a novel two-stage handshaking mechanism update to blockchain proof-of-stake consensus. The proposed mechanism, when used to support a DHP, allows individuals to validate their quarantine and testing universally with any jurisdiction while allowing their right of independent movement and the protection of their PHI. Implementational details on the protocol are given, and the protocol is shown to withstand a 1% disturbance attack at only 923 participants via a Monte-Carlo simulation: further validating its stability.