Page 47 - AIH-1-2

Artificial Intelligence in Health Blockchain for health-care security

8.3. Benefits of using blockchain technology in enhancing the reliability of COVID-19 analytics, reducing
fighting COVID-19 pandemic the incidence of fatal consequences such as COVID-19
Blockchain technology offers distributed, encrypted, and misdiagnosis attributed to incorrect data. 43
secure digital transaction loggings. Blockchain technology 8.5. Blockchain for ensuring patient data privacy
can be employed to track the spread of coronavirus
infections by tracking citizens on a global scale while Consensus procedures combined with blockchain
maintaining patients’ personal information, tracking technology offer a strong framework for protecting
drug trials, and tracking and maintaining records of patient data privacy in health-care domain,
fundraising activities and donations. 44,48 There were cases resolving a number of issues commonly seen with
of blockchain technology used to curb the COVID-19 conventional centralized methods. Ensuring the stability
pandemic. Specifically, the distributed blockchain ledger of patient data records by making them tamper-resistant
technology was utilized in logging and data visualization and immutable is one of the most crucial steps in applying
of the coronavirus outbreaks with data derived from the blockchain technology. This capability of blockchain
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and permits the generation of an accurate and visible record
the World Health Organziation. 50 of activity that documents all data transactions in the
past Thus, by improving data integrity and security,
53
Public health blockchain consortium is another any unauthorized attempts to access or alter patient
blockchain-based platform that could pinpoint information can be promptly identified. Consensus
communities and workplaces that have yet to be affected techniques, which are addressed in section 4, are
by coronavirus outbreaks and other pathogens before essential for verifying the authenticity of data supplied
corresponding protective measures are imposed on them to the blockchain and for confirming transactions. These
in a bid to prevent further spread of infectious diseases. measures reduce the possibility of fraudulent activity and
This technology can also verify and track uninfected unauthorized changes to patient records by demanding
individuals and restrict their movements if they have network consensus. The network’s trust is built through
visited areas affected by outbreaks. 45,51 Another example is the consensus process, which improves the overall patient
Hyper-chain, a blockchain-based platform used in China, data security.
which facilitates donation tracking and flags the needs of
COVID-19 patients to the health-care organizations and Blockchain networks leverage strong cryptographic
the government. algorithms to secure patient data in terms of data encryption.
An extra layer of security is added by encryption, which
8.4. Blockchain in combating COVID-19 pandemic guarantees that even in the event of illegal access, the
Blockchain is an essential tool in the fight against COVID- data cannot be read without the right decryption keys.
19. The indispensability of the blockchain technology The privacy and confidentiality of patients are greatly
can be accounted for by its ability in tracking and tracing improved by this function. By automating permissions and
personal protective equipment (PPE). During the access controls, smart contracts self-executing algorithms
52
54
pandemic, most countries were facing a shortage of PPEs, with pre-established rules help protect patient privacy.
which are essential to prevent and control the COVID-19 Patients may decide the usage and accessibility of their
infection, due to the lack of reliable and correct data about data through these contracts, which can be configured to
their demand and supply. A lack of transparency in the manage and enforce detailed authorization procedures.
logistic supply chain management was also contributing Data handling in compliance with patient preferences
to the prevalence of low-quality PPEs on the market. The and legal requirements is guaranteed by this automated
utilization of blockchain technology can help facilitate the method, which also lowers the possibility of human error.
supply chain operations, secure PPE certificates, prevent Consensus mechanisms and blockchain technology
compliance violations, and identify faulty PPEs, creating together offer consistency, decentralization, robust
18
an healthy atmosphere in which committers of compliance encryption, access controls based on smart contracts,
violations will be penalized, and reliable and trustworthy transparency, and improved consent management, all
manufacturers will be recognized for their high-quality of which contribute to protecting patient data privacy
products. in the health-care industry. By addressing the ever-
55
Transactions or COVID-19 data can be recorded and evolving issues of data security and privacy in the health-
made available to health-care organizations. These records care industry, this all-encompassing strategy builds
of transactions will be rendered immutable, preventing a foundation of confidence and dependability in the
alterations by any entities. Blockchain can also help with handling of sensitive patient data.

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2024) 41 doi: 10.36922/aih.2580