Blockchain Implementation to Enhance Medical Data Security in Electronic Health Record Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70062/jeci.v1i2.219Keywords:
Blockchain, Data Security, Electronic Health Record, Smart Contracts, TransparencyAbstract
Blockchain technology has emerged as a revolutionary solution for enhancing the security, transparency, and efficiency of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. Traditional database-driven EHRs face persistent challenges such as data breaches, unauthorized access, and limited auditability. This study explores the implementation of a private blockchain framework integrated with smart contracts to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of medical data. Through a comparative analysis between conventional and blockchain-based EHR systems, the research demonstrates that blockchain provides superior data protection by leveraging cryptographic hashing, decentralized validation, and immutable ledgers. Smart contracts further improve automation by securely managing access control, consent authorization, and inter-institutional data sharing without intermediary involvement. The results indicate that while blockchain-based EHRs slightly reduce throughput and increase latency due to distributed consensus mechanisms, they significantly enhance auditability and traceability, achieving up to 98.7% improvement over traditional systems. This ensures that patient data remains tamper-proof and verifiable across multiple healthcare entities. The findings confirm blockchain’s potential as a secure and scalable foundation for next-generation health information systems. The study concludes that adopting private or hybrid blockchain models, supported by smart contract automation and regulatory alignment, can transform healthcare data management, promote interoperability, and strengthen patient trust in digital health infrastructures.
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