Balancing Patient Privacy and Health Data Security: The Role of Compliance in Protected Health Information (PHI) Sharing

TL;DR

This paper explores how blockchain technology, with smart contracts, can enhance compliance and security in sharing Protected Health Information (PHI), balancing patient privacy with data accessibility.

Contribution

It proposes a blockchain-based system with smart contracts to automate consent management, improving PHI sharing compliance and security.

Findings

Blockchain ensures data integrity and authenticity.

Smart contracts automate consent processes.

Enhanced compliance with privacy laws.

Abstract

Protected Health Information (PHI) sharing significantly enhances patient care quality and coordination, contributing to more accurate diagnoses, efficient treatment plans, and a comprehensive understanding of patient history. Compliance with strict privacy and security policies, such as those required by laws like HIPAA, is critical to protect PHI. Blockchain technology, which offers a decentralized and tamper-evident ledger system, hold promise in policy compliance. This system ensures the authenticity and integrity of PHI while facilitating patient consent management. In this work, we propose a blockchain technology that integrates smart contracts to partially automate consent-related processes and ensuring that PHI access and sharing follow patient preferences and legal requirements.