Blockchain for Secure Healthcare: Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

With the tremendous advancement in information and communication technologies (ICT), gradually human lives have been relying on them by means of healthcare, communication, and many other aspects. However, ICT has a major issue in terms of security which is one of the hottest areas of research at present. Among the numerous modern technologies that help improving the security and privacy, Blockchain has grabbed its place and remarkably enhanced many industries. Furthermore, Blockchain is executed within or on top of the cloud computing paradigm that allows the users to obtain the essential data with more security. With that, the inherent security and privacy related issues in the cloud computing paradigm are radically mitigated. Currently, among several industrial systems, healthcare systems are maintained through cloudbased data centers to facilitate diverse stakeholders like patients, practices, labs, pharmacies, and other healthcare entities, in terms of data processing and its ubiquity. However, that is not adequate in terms security and privacy thus vulnerable to several breaches. As a potential solution, Blockchain-based Cloud Computing offers security and availability for these records which is what Healthcare systems are mainly lacking. In this paper, we will state how Blockchain is affecting the Healthcare field, and what enhancements could happen if medical systems use Blockchain. Moreover, opportunities for Blockchain for secure healthcare systems, potential challenges and their solutions are discussed.