Blockchain-based Electronic Health Record System

Let me tell you some interesting statistics about your health records.

Did you know, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, 19,992,810 health records were affected, due to hacking or unauthorized access?

You see the security of your health information is literally one data breach away from exposure. Despite numerous attempts from healthcare providers and regulatory bodies such as HIPAA, GDPR, etc., the hackers seem to find one or the other access to your healthcare data.

Interestingly, in the last couple of years, the attention to healthcare data security has increased immensely, yet the threat of data breaches seems to be looming for many healthcare practices.

So, what can be done to enhance the security of healthcare data?

Well, the answer lies right in front of you. Amplify the power of your healthcare system by leveraging advanced technologies. And the best example of this can be found in blockchain.

You see blockchain is a revolutionary concept or technology that can transform the way the healthcare industry functions, at least in regards to security. It can help you in the creation of tamperproof healthcare records, bring transparency in healthcare data management, and improve the efficiency of the entire healthcare system.

However, the seeding of that must be planted in the very backbone of the healthcare industry, which is the blockchain-based custom EHR software development.

But what exactly is blockchain, and what can its impact be on the healthcare industry?

Well, let’s find that out in this blog below!

Understanding Blockchain Technology in Healthcare

To understand the impact of blockchain on healthcare, we must first understand what exactly blockchain is, and to understand that, we must first understand the core concepts of blockchain. So, without further ado, let’s get started:

Core Concepts of Blockchain

1. Decentralization: Instead of relying on a single, centralized authority as a database, blockchain uses multiple systems or computers called nodes in a network. This forms a distributed ledger, forming a decentralized EHR system where the nodes communicate directly with each other, completely eliminating the need for intermediaries.

2. Immutability: Once the data is uploaded into the blockchain, it is made immutable, where it cannot be changed, creating immutable medical records for your secure EHR software development. This is done by cryptographic hashing, where each block contains the hash of the previous block. This process creates a secure and tamperproof chain of records, where changing or altering the data from one block would require changing or altering data in all blocks, which makes it almost infeasible.

3. Transparency: Here comes the best part about blockchain. Since it also acts as a decentralized EHR system, it acts like a public ledger, where the data is visible to everyone on the network. Furthermore, cryptographic EHR solutions using unique cryptographic techniques are used to ensure data protection and communication between nodes.

4. Smart Contracts: Blockchain uses self-executing contracts with the terms of agreements directly embedded in the code, with this your custom EHR will also be a smart contract EHR, executing contracts by itself. This is to automate the execution of agreements and further eliminate the intermediaries, reducing the risk factor of errors.

Benefits of Blockchain in Healthcare

While blockchain made it to the headlines with cryptocurrency, its benefits in healthcare are hardly visible to professionals. So, here are some of the major benefits of using blockchain in healthcare:

1. Enhanced Security and Privacy: It is no secret that blockchain is directly related to enhanced security and privacy of the data stored in it. Its immutable nature makes it tamperproof, and with cryptographic EHR solution, it safeguards sensitive data and significantly minimizes the risk of breaches. Along with that, forming a network also grants the user—in this case, the patient—the right to grant specific access to specific individuals or systems.

2. Improved Data Interoperability: Blockchain provides a standardized platform for everyone in the network. This way, it can easily facilitate seamless data exchange between different healthcare systems, which contributes to better care coordination and care delivery.

3. Increased Data Integrity and Accuracy: Being a public ledger, it allows easy tracking of medical records, drug supply chains, clinical trials, etc. This ensures the integrity of data. Furthermore, automating most of the process also ensures the accuracy of data that is being shared across the system.

4. Reduced Administrative Costs: With improved interoperability, security, real-time data access, streamlined processes, etc., most of the administrative tasks are automated with the help of blockchain technology. This can help healthcare practices to save significantly, improving their overall financial performance.

Designing a Blockchain-Based EHR Software

Blockchain EHR development can change everything for your healthcare practice. However, there are different aspects that you need to consider when designing a blockchain EHR software system. Here is a brief overview of everything that you need to know in blockchain EHR development for your healthcare practice:

Data Structure and Storage

The first that you need to do is to determine an optimal data structure for storing patient records on the blockchain. You have to consider key aspects such as encryption, access controls, cryptographic hashing, immunization, data size, frequency, sharding, off-chain storage, data formats, smart contracts, etc. For data structuring, you can consider hierarchical data structure, graph database, or key-value storage. However, all these storage come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Considering this with your healthcare IT vendor to see which one fits your needs can be of great help.

Smart Contract Implementation

As explained earlier, smart contracts are the terms of agreement that are embedded into the code itself. That is why you need to develop smart contracts accordingly which can automate procedures for various healthcare processes. For instance, there should be a different smart contract for patient consent and the processes it follows. Similarly a different smart contract must be there for data sharing processes, billing and other processes.

Some of the key things to consider in this are the security and reliability of the smart contract EHR. That is why you should have secure key management, robust encryption implemented, data validation, blockchain immutable nature, etc.

Consensus Mechanism

The consensus mechanism is one of the core aspects in blockchain technology. Here the nodes or systems must agree on the validity of transactions before they are added to the blockchain. Some of the common consensus mechanisms that you can use are Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS) and Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT).

Implementing a Blockchain-Enabled EHR System

Now that you have a brief idea about designing a blockchain EHR software, it’s time to implement a blockchain-enabled EHR system. Here are some key things that you must consider:

Technology Stack

The first thing is technology; after all, depending on the technology you are choosing, most of the things your blockchain-based EHR system will be based on. First things first, choose an appropriate blockchain platform such as Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, etc., along with an appropriate programming language such as JavaScript, Solidity, etc. Some of the things to consider in this are the scalability and performance factors of the EHR software.

Integration with Existing Systems

Being a healthcare provider, you know healthcare delivery depends on other healthcare systems and especially your existing healthcare system. For this you need to develop robust APIs and interfaces to connect the blockchain-based EHR system with legacy systems. Along with that, you must take all the effective measures to ensure seamless data exchange and synchronization.

User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX)

Last but not least, you need to design an intuitive and user-friendly interface for both healthcare providers and patients so that they can effectively use the system. One of the major things to consider in this is smooth navigation; as it is a fairly new technology, there is a high chance that it can create confusion for new users. Along with that, the accessibility and usability of the software should be prioritized so that the users do not have much trouble while using the EHR system.

Security & Privacy Considerations

Blockchain technology has gained attention for its robust security, accessibility and decentralized nature. Despite this you have taken some of the security and privacy measures to ensure its efficiency.

Data Encryption

In cryptographic EHR solutions, cryptographic techniques being one of its core concepts, you need to implement robust encryption techniques to protect sensitive patient data. One of the best things to consider in this are zero-knowledge proofs and homomorphic encryptions practices for advanced privacy measures.

Access Controls

Implement granular access control to restrict unauthorized access to patient databases. Furthermore, granular access controls also come in handy as it enables you to grant access to patient data based on their roles and permissions. Furthermore, you can also implement blockchain-based identity verification and authorizations to ensure the person access is in the role they are claiming to be. This way your EHR system will also be a patient-centric EHR by giving them control of their medical data.

Regulatory Considerations

Blockchain technology is a fairly newer technology that is why, during blockchain EHR development, you need to ensure its compliance with relevant regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, etc. One of the best practices is to develop data privacy EHR by developing secure and interoperable blockchain EHR policies and procedures in compliance with these regulations, as it makes most of the things easier for you to implement.

Future Trends & Challenges

Blockchain technology is still evolving, and with its evolution, there are bound to be certain trends and challenges that you might encounter. Some of the projected future trends and challenges that you need to consider are:

1. Interoperability Standards: Being one of the most recent technologies in the industry, developing interoperability standards during blockchain EHR development is a must. Being one of the pioneers of technology users, you can collaborate with industry stakeholders to establish some common protocols for seamless interoperability and data sharing across systems.

2. Scalability and Performance: With time, your practice will increase in volume, which is why you need to explore some trending scaling solutions that would be able to handle increasing data volume and transaction loads. You can implement a system to optimize the blockchain networks for efficient performance.

3. User Adoption: Last but not least, you need to empower your healthcare providers, patients, and staff members about the benefits of blockchain-based EHR systems and their effective use. One of the best ways to do that is by providing rigorous hands-on training and providing support to facilitate adoption.

Frequently Asked Questions