The Application of Blockchain to Enhance NHS Data Security

This report examines the application of blockchain technology to address data security and management challenges within the National Health Service (NHS). It contextualizes the problem of protecting and managing sensitive patient information, including electronic records and communications, highlighting the need for enhanced security and patient data access. The report explores various approaches to the problem, emphasizing the benefits of blockchain, such as data analytics, consumer data access, and improved privacy and security. It details the mechanism of blockchain, including public keys and smart contracts, and analyzes its potential to reduce costs, improve data sharing, and enhance trust in healthcare transactions. The report also assesses the implementation of blockchain concepts within the NHS, including e-health record systems, and concludes with an analysis of the technology's ability to streamline medical procedures and restrict unauthorized data access, ultimately providing a comprehensive solution for securing and managing patient data.

The Application of
Blockchain to a Real-Life Use
Case

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Contextualisation of the problem...........................................................................................3
Discussion of various approaches to the problem..................................................................4
Application of Blockchain concepts.......................................................................................7
Appropriate analysis and assessment of Blockchain solutions..............................................8
Appraisal of your solution......................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Blockchain is defined as an immutable ledge which is helpful in logging data entries in
a manner which is decentralised. This technology is emerging and proven to be boom in various
sectors under which data of customer can be secured using cryptography and secured network.
Blockchain technology is associated with data-driven domain in which health domain in
associated (Mettler, 2016) . This report is prepared in order to examine problem faced by NHS
in respect of managing and protecting personal information of their patients. Along with a
prominent solution aligned with Blockchain is given in this report so that NHS may deal with
arising problem in early manner.
MAIN BODY
Contextualisation of the problem
The problem faced by NHS is related with protecting and managing personal
information of their patients. NHS is a publically funded healthcare system established in UK,
so they are having huge set of reports of their customers. These reports include handwritten
notes, electronic records, lab test reports, text and emails conversations with patients and many
more. Healthcare is an industry which is directly depending upon their patients and they
provide such goods and services through which people’s health can be maintained. By using
prominent and emerging technology in healthcare sector transparency can be maintained and
data availability can be enhanced for customer. This report is made for the objective of
examining problem faced by NHS in managing and protecting personal data of their clients and
in this the organisation is willing to deal with this complexity and meet expectation of their
patients. Blockchain is the technology which can be used by them in order to maximise benefits
for their patients and secure personal data of them. This would provide easy access to their
patients in order to access their data and reports without worrying about any threat of malware
and cyber stalkers. With the help of Blockchain technology concerns raised by patients can be
treated in better way which leads in generation of security and decentralised system. There are
some benefits which can be attained by healthcare when they inhale Blockchain in maintaining
patients’ records and the same are elaborated as under:

Data and analytics: Healthcare organisations are having discrete range of data and variability
of systems. This may lead in collection of unstructured data and formulation of complexities in
order to manage the same. In this regard by advancing technology and adopting data analytics
processing of customer data can be easier and this will going to help NHS in managing
portfolio of their patients (Dhillon, Metcalf and Hoope, 2017).
Consumer data access: In this context in the sector of healthcare data storage is necessary as
medical history of a patient pay essential role in diagnosis of any disease prevailing to them. On
the other hand this history is highly confidential so required to be kept by organisation to them
only and not to be shared with any insurance company or any other. The major objective of
adopting Blockchain within NHS is to secure data of their patients so that to avoid any threat of
hackers and to provide security to personal data of patients.
Privacy and security: One of the major concerns of NHS is to provide security to their patients
regarding stay hassle-free for their personal data. Cyber security is the emerging trend which is
required to be followed and by taking assistance of Blockchain healthcare organisation may
acquire high end security in their working as in context of NHS they are facing problem of
securing and managing personal data, so this technology can be proved as highly beneficial for
them (Jamil and et. al., 2019).
Discussion of various approaches to the problem
In modern health care system digital methods are widely used as organisations are
willing to work in centralised manner. In order to provide access to patients regarding their
information reports and diagonse in effective manner along with avoiding chances of data
leakage and security threat. By undertaking centralised system control of their data can be given
to patients that may be helpful in dealing with complex problems in easy manner. On the other
hand Blockchain technology may lead in healthcare to minimise time of patients for accessing
their data and records as well which enable them to integrate health sector with solving problem
of industry as well. Firstly for NHS this is required that they understand scope of Blockchain
for their problem in which they can implement the technology in order to deal with problems.
In order to integrate Blockchain within healthcare problem of NHS is properly examined and
this is seen that data of patients are crucial and significant within every stage of treatment of
patients.

Figure 1 Process of managing health records
In the method of Blockchain mechanism health records of patients are stored using public key
and that can be accessed by patients by accessing their unique ID. Only in the case of matching
of unique ID data of patients can be accessed which creates high level of confidentiality. This
Blockchain mechanism could lead in avoiding non-identifiable transactions which helps the
institution and patients to protect their data in order to provide high end security to records of
customers. Smart contracts are self-executor in nature. This is an agreement between two
parties and this establishes a prominent code of agreement without any involvement of third
party (Peters and et. al., 2017).

Figure 2 Mechanism of Blockchain
Blockchain could be the most prominent solution to deal with security threat and to
manage efficacy within maintaining records in well-defined manner. Blockchain may provide
easy access to real time data which helps NHS to maintain data of individual without inhaling
any kind of threat and managing security as well. For NHS as the organisation is facing
problem of losing control over data management of customer so this is a prominent challenge
which is required to be dealt by them as by this they may enhance security measures in data
storage. Blockchain is helpful for patients to get fuller access to their personal data and attain
control over its sharing limitation. In sector of healthcare the major problem is associated with
leakage of data by involvement of hackers and malware which can be easily solved by
Blockchain interface.
Several advantages of this system are elaborated as under:
Reduces cost and complexities: Blockchain may leads in tracing health related
problem that is being faced by patients in easy manner. As data is stored on centralised platform
and can be accessed by combining ID and unique password. This provides high edge security
and accessibility to data of patients which enable them to track health related issues on early
stage so that can be cured as well (Dang and et. al., 2019).
Shared and trusted transactions: Data associated with parties are highly sensitive and
authentic. This technology is having high impact over managing data of customer with

establishing secured and sustainable network as well. This helps in increasing trust of patients
as they feel product and services provided by NHS are free from any discrimination and safety
error as well (Miraz and AlI, 2018).
Application of Blockchain concepts
Blockchain is highly beneficial for healthcare industry as this enables their customer to
access data in easy manner. There are various security breaches which are creating threat in
minds of customer as in context of leakage of their personal data. In this context this technology
is having high end benefits in relation to keeping personal data of patients in prominent manner.
Security issues are major for NHS as this may lead them to face decreased goodwill and
decreasing market share as well. So the company is introducing E-health record system which
is based on Blockchain and helps in minimising rigidity and providing easy accessibility to
patients. This is imperative to secure personal data of patients as this is confidential and crucial
at the same time so Blockchain is a technology which helps NHS to track their patients by
encrypting the same with keys whose access is held only with patients. This technology is laced
with high end numeric system that could lead NHS to deal with their problem and providing
their customer high edge security. This system provides evidence when any information of
patients is being altered by someone, this could lead in proper diagnosis of problem. There are
various security threats such as breakage of firewall, attack of cyber hacker and many more, so
by applying Blockchain technology this is harder for attacker to steel data in such an easy
manner like before. Under this system a patient’s card is given to patients which is key to
access their records and data. Besides this the system may lead the patient to initiate their
treatment at any corner of the world as data is stored on centralised platform which can be
accessed by any of the doctors which creates convenience for patients to initiate their treatment
in any corner of the word where they wish to.
This technology eradicates involvement of third party due to which transparency can be
maintained and easy access to records and reports can be made by patients. Estonia is the
country which has initiated to start Blockchain technology in their functions due to which this
could be easier for them and doctors to access records of patients. Estonia is regarded as central
plank for applying e-health strategies in their country. Blockchain uses technology of
cryptography which secures the transaction to end to end basis and provides secured network

every habitant for keeping their records in safe manner. Under this mechanism data is not stored
over Blockchain rather this technology helps e-health record system to inhale high end security
so that to provide safety measures to patients. NHS is using this technology so that to manage
records of personal data of patients and to manage the same so that easy accessibility can be
given to patients (Puthal, and et. al., 2018).
Appropriate analysis and assessment of Blockchain solutions
There are various problems within healthcare industry but the prominent one is to deal
with security and management of patient’s data and reports. On the other hand the accessibility
of data for patients is required as this enable them to start their treatment at any place at global
periphery. By inhaling smart contact system which is based on Blockchain NHS may provide
easiness to their patients so as to access desired records and empathy to store data in secured
manner.
Blockchain technology is proven as digital revolution for healthcare in recent years as
this technology is identifying potential of this aspect in order to solve problem of the industry.
Blockchain initiates utilities for patients, doctors, and healthcare institutes by which access to
patient’s records can be performed in easy manner and this leads in managing medical security
and transparency as well. On the basis of real time records monitoring and controlling of
records can be performed in direct manner. Besides this this technology enables healthcare
institution to restrict access to unauthorised party or team. By taking help of this system data
can be managed and complex medical procedures can be streamlined in easy manner.
Blockchain is the set of combined blocks in which transactions are connected by
overlapping of previous one. So this could be enforced in order to exchange data in multi-
organisational manner so as to provide ease to various organisations in their research work and
providing access to data in early along with easy manner. By taking advantage of electronic
data health related queries can be sorted which provides data security and data sharing in
accessible manner (Close and et. al., 2016).
The smart contact system could lead NHS to meet their objectives and understand need
of healthcare industry. In order to address problem of data security Blockchain management
system in to be implemented by NHS as this will help them to secure data of their patients

which is money in current time. Under this full participation is needed and in order to attain
high edge success. Technology of Blockchain is new for meeting solution but at the same time
the technology is highly relative. By adopting smart contact system which is associated with
Blockchain mechanism NHS can solve their challenge of providing security to personal data of
their customer.
Appraisal of your solution
In this report usage of blockchian within helathcare is being enumerated and their
advantages are highlighted. In healthcare industry problem related to storing and securing
personal data of patients are faced and blockchain is the prominnet solution through which this
problem can be solved in easy manner. According to me this technology is undoubtedly dealing
with keeping of records in clear manner through which easy access can be provided to
authorised party. In medical terms institutions are facing problem in dealing with records of
patients and maintaining them as well. In this respect Blockchain technology is providing
centralised system in which patient can access to their data and doctors can enquire about
relevant disease in direct manner without involvement of third party. Estonia is the country
which is immensely using digitalisation in their healthcare system through which the country is
highly emerging in using prominent technology so that to acquire high end proficiency.
Estonian E-health portal is providing greater involvement in which medical records can be
controlled by them by addressing various issues. This is helping the sector to deal with various
challenges and providing ease in such a way that future of the industry can be improved. As
Blockchain is an emerging concept so this is highly recommended to NHS that they reinstate
working within this technology as they are willing to support personal data of their patients and
providing them ease to access the same (Lu, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the above report this can be summarised that in healthcare introduction of
technology is highly significant as the industry is performing their functions in order to provide
ease to their customer so by using emerging technology high end benefits can be given to them.
In order to secure and manage personal data of patients, healthcare industry is coming up with
an emerging solution which is smart contact system and the technology is based on Blockchain

mechanism. Under Blockchain mechanism data is secured from end to end encryption and can
be accessed by authorised party or person. This provides centralised working through which
patients can access to their data and reports from any corner of the world. This is highly
beneficial in order to consult to any doctor present in global periphery which helps the patients
to deal with their disease in more appropriate manner.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Close and et. al., 2016. A Prescription for Blockchain in Health Care.
Dang and et. al., 2019. A survey on internet of things and cloud computing for
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Dhillon, V., Metcalf, D. and Hooper, M., 2017. Blockchain in health care. In Blockchain
Enabled Applications (pp. 125-138). Apress, Berkeley, CA.
Jamil and et. al., 2019. A novel medical blockchain model for drug supply chain integrity
management in a smart hospital. Electronics. 8(5). p.505.
Lu, Y., 2018. Blockchain: A survey on functions, applications and open issues. Journal of
Industrial Integration and Management. 3(04). p.1850015.
Mettler, M., 2016, September. Blockchain technology in healthcare: The revolution starts here.
In 2016 IEEE 18th international conference on e-health networking, applications and
services (Healthcom) (pp. 1-3). IEEE.
Miraz, M.H. and Ali, M., 2018. Applications of blockchain technology beyond
cryptocurrency. arXiv preprint arXiv:1801.03528.
Peters and et. al., 2017. Blockchain technology in health care: A primer for surgeons. Bulletin
of the American College of Surgeons, 12, pp.1-5.
Puthal, and et. al., 2018. Everything you wanted to know about the blockchain: Its promise,
components, processes, and problems. IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, 7(4),
pp.6-14.