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Blockchain smart contract system for secure health data sharing

Vasilakis Georgios

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Summary

The main objective of this study is to review, assess and critically evaluate state-of-the-art research conducted around blockchain technology and its adoption in healthcare sector. Furthermore, a blockchain application was designed and implemented to orchestrate, store, and then exchange health data transactions among all parties involved.To achieve its main objective, the study has been developed in three directions: (1) a broad background study of the blockchain thematic field has been conducted, with emphasis on the theoretical foundation and applications of blockchain in health sector, (2) a comprehensive review of blockchain techniques and related software platforms and tools was assessed, with a focus on the Ethereum platform, which appears to be well-suited for rapid prototype implementations and is thus used extensively by the research community, and (3) a proof-of-concept implementation, based on a private blockchain network, was created to demonstrate the applicability and use of blockchain technology in storing, moving, and securely accessing medical records and health data.A number of important features inherited by blockchain technology, such as decentralization, immutability and traceability have made it particularly appealing in today’s technological environment and sparked significant research efforts for their potential use in the health sector. The effective use of blockchain technology in the health domain may provide significant benefits to patients, doctors, and the medical community, as well as provide health data flow in a simple and secure manner. Even as blockchain networks and applications continue to grow in popularity, significant issues and aspects must be studied and addressed, with scalability and applicability in various domains being two of the most prominent.The originality and value of the current study are justified because it (1) provides a synopsis and structured presentation of current blockchain qualitative and quantitative research, as well as the related technology evolution, with a particular focus on use cases applicable to the health domain and (2) proves that blockchain-based applications could significantly increase the value of sharing and exchanging sensitive medical records because they can be safely stored and managed, improving accessibility for patients and healthcare professionals and (3) demonstrates how private blockchain networks could be implemented, integrated, and deployed, using a set of software tools and scalable infrastructure, using a fast developed prototype.

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