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Blockchain Technology for Electronic Health Records

Author

Listed:
  • Yujin Han

    (Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA)

  • Yawei Zhang

    (Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China)

  • Sten H. Vermund

    (Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA)

Abstract

Compared with traditional paper-based medical records, electronic health records (EHRs) are widely used because of their efficiency, security, and reducing data redundancy. However, EHRs still manifest poor interoperability and privacy issues are unresolved. As a distributed ledger protocol composed of encrypted blocks of data organized in chains, blockchain represents a potential tool to solve the shortcomings of EHRs in terms of interoperability and privacy. In this paper, we define EHRs and blockchain technology and introduce several classic schemes based on blockchain technology to strengthen EHR interoperability and privacy protection. We then review ongoing challenges in the areas of data management efficiency, fairness of access, and trust in the systems. In this commentary, we suggest ongoing research needs for health informatics, data sciences, and ethics to establish EHRs based on blockchain technology. Blockchain-based EHR schemes must address the potential inequality of healthcare resources, the huge carbon footprint of computational needs, and potential distrust of health providers and patients that may ensue with wider use of blockchain technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Yujin Han & Yawei Zhang & Sten H. Vermund, 2022. "Blockchain Technology for Electronic Health Records," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-6, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15577-:d:982380
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiaojun Wen & Yongzhi Chen & Wei Zhang & Zoe L. Jiang & Junbin Fang, 2022. "Blockchain Consensus Mechanism Based on Quantum Teleportation," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(14), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Waldemar W. Koczkodaj & Mirosław Mazurek & Dominik Strzałka & Alicja Wolny-Dominiak & Marc Woodbury-Smith, 2019. "Electronic Health Record Breaches as Social Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(2), pages 861-871, January.
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