A Blockchain-Enabled Approach for the Secure Transfer of Healthcare Information Thesis

Abstract

ABSTRACT The increasing digitization of healthcare has amplified the need for secure, scalable, and interoperable systems capable of managing sensitive patient information. Traditional centralized healthcare data management systems are limited by issues of data silos, vulnerability to tampering, and single points of failure. Although blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution, existing blockchain-based frameworks face challenges of scalability, latency, and adaptability to real-time Internet of Things (IoT)-driven healthcare data. To address these limitations, this study proposes MedChain, a blockchain-enabled framework designed to provide secure, scalable, and patient-centric healthcare data sharing. The research follows a systematic methodology. First, a conceptual framework was developed, integrating blockchain, digest chains, and a session-based data-sharing model to balance security with efficiency. A prototype system was implemented and tested using simulated healthcare datasets, including both static electronic health records (EHRs) and dynamic IoT-generated data streams. The evaluation involved comparative analysis against traditional centralized and blockchain-only systems, focusing on key performance metrics such as throughput, latency, scalability, and tamper detection. The results demonstrate that MedChain significantly outperforms existing models. Throughput improved by 87.5% over blockchain systems and 25% over centralized systems, while latency was reduced by 54.3% compared to blockchain. Tamper detection achieved a near-perfect accuracy of 99%, and scalability tests confirmed MedChain’s ability to sustain performance under large data loads (up to 50,000 records), where blockchain-only systems experienced severe slowdowns. These findings validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in supporting secure and efficient healthcare data exchange. This study contributes to both theory and practice by introducing a layered architecture that enhances blockchain’s applicability in healthcare. It demonstrates how digest chains reduce verification overhead, while session-based sharing empowers patients with granular control over their data. Furthermore, the research highlights practical insights for healthcare providers and policymakers seeking to adopt blockchain-enabled solutions. In conclusion, MedChain provides a viable pathway toward secure, scalable, and patient-centered healthcare data management. While the results are promising, the study also identifies areas for future exploration, including energy-efficient consensus mechanisms, compliance with evolving healthcare regulations, and integration with large-scale IoT ecosystems. These directions will further refine the potential of blockchain to revolutionize healthcare data sharing.