Blockchain for a Trusted and Reliable Medical Infrastructure

Modern medical device solutions involving hardware, algorithms, and data storage are typically vertically integrated and maintained by single entities. These monolithic systems force patients to consider trade-offs between hardware reliability, software quality, and storage costs. However, recent blockchain technology has created an opportunity for decentralization and horizontal integration of these solution components. We have designed and simulated a medical blockchain system that encourages decentralization, facilitates immutable medical transactions, and provides fast and reliable identity verification. Immutable medical transactions create a trusted history, viewable by insurance providers, and promote integrity from all acting parties. By leveraging reliable identity verification, patients, physicians, and service providers can confidently initiate and accept transactions. We developed our system with a private blockchain based on Ethereum.