ACaseStudyforBlockchaininHealthcare:“MedRec”prototypeforelectronichealthrecordsandmedicalresearchdataWhitePaperArielEkblaw*,AsaphAzaria*,JohnD.Halamka,MD†,AndrewLippman**MITMediaLab,†BethIsraelDeaconessMedicalCenterAugust2016Note:Theabstractandfirstthreesectionsofthiswhitepaperaredrawnfromapeer-reviewed,formallyacceptedpaper,presentlybeingpreparedforpublicationwithIEEEthroughtheirOpen&BigDataConference,August22-24,2016.MedRec:UsingBlockchainforMedicalDataAccessandPermissionManagementIEEEOriginalAuthors:AsaphAzaria,ArielEkblaw,ThiagoVieira,AndrewLippmanThismaterialisadaptedandincludedherewithpermissionoftheIEEE,includingpermissionforpublicationbytheONCBlockchainChallengeifselected.AbstractAlong-standingfocusoncompliancehastraditionallyconstraineddevelopmentoffundamentaldesignchangesforElectronicHealthRecords(EHRs).Wenowfaceacriticalneedforsuchinnovation,aspersonalizationanddatasciencepromptpatientstoengageinthedetailsoftheirhealthcareandrestoreagencyovertheirmedicaldata.Inthispaper,weproposeMedRec:anovel,decentralizedrecordmanagementsystemtohandleEHRs,usingblockchaintechnology.Oursystemgivespatientsacomprehensive,immutablelogandeasyaccesstotheirmedicalinformationacrossprovidersandtreatmentsites.Leveraginguniqueblockchainproperties,MedRecmanagesauthentication,confidentiality,accountabilityanddatasharing—crucialconsiderationswhenhandlingsensitiveinformation.Amodulardesignintegrateswithproviders'existing,localdatastoragesolutions,facilitatinginteroperabilityandmakingoursystemconvenientandadaptable.Weincentivizemedicalstakeholders(researchers,publichealthauthorities,etc.)toparticipateinthenetworkasblockchain“miners”.Thisprovidesthemwithaccesstoaggregate,anonymizeddataasminingrewards,inreturnforsustainingandsecuringthenetworkviaProofofWork.MedRecthusenablestheemergenceofdataeconomics,supplyingbigdatatoempowerresearcherswhileengagingpatientsandprovidersinthechoicetoreleasemetadata.Thepurposeofthispaperistoexpose,inpreparationforfieldtests,aworkingprototypethrough...
