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Artificial Intelligence in Health                                        Blockchain for health-care security























                               Figure 6. Health-care management using blockchain. Source: Schematic made by the authors.

            8.2. Blockchain platforms used in health-care      8.2.3. Med-rec
            domain
                                                               Med-Rec, built from a collaborative project between MIT
            Gem Health Network, Guard-time, Med-Rec, and Health-  Media Lab and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is a
            bank are some of the blockchain platforms developed for   blockchain-based platform deals particularly with EHRs.
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            use in health-care domain. These platforms enable secure   The non-seamless design of EHRs in managing multi-
            sharing of medical information with different health-care   institutional and lifelong records is the prime reason for
            providers.                                         data loss as patients’ data may become scattered as they
                                                               move  from  one  organization to another.   Med-Rec  can
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            8.2.1. Gem health network
                                                               provide its users with all of their records, which are credible,
            Gem Health Network is a blockchain platform developed   easily accessible, and most importantly, immutable. It also
            based on the Ethereum Blockchain Framework that can   allows management permissions, authorization, and data
            allow the sharing of medical data supplied by health-  sharing among health-care providers and systems using a
            care specialists. Gem Health Network merges businesses,   decentralized approach.
            specialists, and patients to enhance patient-centered
            care. This network allows medical stakeholders to have   Blockchain in the Med-Rec platform grants patients the
            transparent access  to  any  latest  information.   On  this   power to authorize individuals who can access their health
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            platform, outdated information can be removed, thereby   records. This project is tested as a proof of concept with
            reducing the risk of medical negligence starting from the   medication data. Med-Rec was further enhanced in terms
            early stage of treatment. Medical experts can also track all   of data types as well as number of data contributors and
            the interactions between patients and their doctors.  users. 47
            8.2.2. Guard-time                                  8.2.4. Health-bank
            Guard-time, a blockchain-powered data security platform   Blockchain can also be applied in the area of patient-
            based in the Netherlands, is used in Estonia to operate   generated data. Built by a Switzerland-based digital
            public health infrastructure, especially in patient identity   health  startup,  Health-bank  stands  as  a  great  example
            validation. Estonian citizens are given smartcard that link   of this application. Users can store and manage their
            their EHR data with their corresponding blockchain-  personal health-care information secured on the
            based profiles. Citizens of Estonia, health-care providers,   Health-bank platform. All the users have full control
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            and insurance companies can acquire information about   over their own data.  User data in Health-bank are
            medical treatments done in Estonia through Guard-time.   also made available for medical research. In addition,
            Updates made to the EHR are assigned with a hash and   users will be financially compensated for share their
            registered in  the  blockchain  network.  Thus,  patients’   data. Blockchain implemented in health-bank allows for
            records are immutable and are protected from malicious   tracking personal patient-generated health data, which
            modifications.  Along with that, health-care database   researchers can use, by means of timestamp. Users
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            information, such as time and date of appointments, are   who have contributed to medical research can also be
            also signed cryptographically in a block.          identified using blockchain.



            Volume 1 Issue 2 (2024)                         40                               doi: 10.36922/aih.2580
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