A Privacy-Aware EMR Sharing System Combined with Blockchain and Proxy Re-encryption Mechanisms

Abstract

Abstract With the advent of the information age, data storage has not only developed from paper information systems to electronic information system storage but also extended to cloud database storage methods. To date, we can see the application of big data and cloud in various fields and levels, which makes the induction, arrangement, transmission, and exchange of data easier and faster. The electronic and systematization of patient medical records in the medical environment is an example. The use of electronic medical records can help to improve the quality of medical care, reduce duplication of treatment, and reduce the waste of examination resources. It has many advantages, but also many risks. Medical institutions may abuse electronic medical data without the consent of patients leading to the leakage of patient privacy data and causing serious social impact. Therefore, this study proposes a medical record exchange and sharing mechanism based on the Hyperledger blockchain architecture combined with proxy re-encryption. When pharmacists need to obtain medical records for related research, patients can decide whether to share medical records, and hospitals can also revoke the access rights of pharmacists at any time to achieve more private, secure, and convenient sharing of medical records. The proposed scheme meets various blockchain security requirements, and the BAN (Burrows–Abadi–Needham) logic proof model is applied to evaluate the correctness of the proposed scheme. The proposed scheme performs well in terms of computational and communication costs.