SEMRAchain: A Secure Electronic Medical Record Based on Blockchain Technology

• Published in: Electronics (Basel) 2022-11, Vol.11 (21), p.3617
• Main Authors: Mhamdi, Halima, Ayadi, Manel, Ksibi, Amel, Al-Rasheed, Amal, Soufiene, Ben Othman, Hedi, Sakli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access control; Access to information; Automation; Blockchain; Confidentiality; Control methods; Control systems; Cryptography; Currency transactions; Data security; Decentralization; Distributed ledger; Electronic health records; Health services; Internet of Things; Medical records; Methods; Privacy; Safety and security measures; Technology application; Visibility
• ISSN: 2079-9292; 2079-9292
• DOI: 10.3390/electronics11213617

A medical record is an important part of a patient’s follow-up. It comprises healthcare professionals’ views, prescriptions, analyses, and all information about the patient. Several players, including the patient, the doctor, and the pharmacist, are involved in the process of sharing, and managing this file. Any authorized individual can access the electronic medical record (EMR) from anywhere, and the data are shared among various health service providers. Sharing the EMR requires various conditions, such as security and confidentiality. However, existing medical systems may be exposed to system failure and malicious intrusions, making it difficult to deliver dependable services. Additionally, the features of these systems represent a challenge for centralized access control methods. This paper presents SEMRAchain a system based on Access control (Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)) and a smart contract approach. This fusion enables decentralized, fine-grained, and dynamic access control management for EMR management. Together, blockchain technology as a secure distributed ledger and access control provides such a solution, providing system stakeholders with not just visibility but also trustworthiness, credibility, and immutability.