A Scalable Multi-Layered Blockchain Architecture for Enhanced EHR Sharing and Drug Supply Chain Management
Reza Javan, Mehrzad Mohammadi, Mohammad Beheshti-Atashgah, Mohammad Reza Aref
TL;DR
The paper tackles secure, scalable sharing of EHRs and pharmaceutical supply chain visibility in healthcare. It proposes a scalable, five-layer blockchain architecture with parallel processing implemented in Hyperledger Fabric, complemented by patient-centric access control and HL7-based interoperability. Five core transactions are defined to ensure data integrity, privacy, and traceability across EHRs and drugs, and Caliper benchmarking demonstrates improved throughput and reduced network overhead. The work delivers real-time drug supply monitoring and interoperable data exchange, supporting robust security, privacy, and scalability for large healthcare networks.
Abstract
In recent years, the healthcare sector's transition to digital platforms has intensified concerns over data security, privacy, and scalability. Blockchain technology offers a decentralized, secure, and immutable solution to these challenges. This paper presents a scalable, multi-layered blockchain architecture for secure Electronic Health Record (EHR) sharing and drug supply chain management. The proposed framework introduces five distinct layers that enhance system performance, security, and patient-centric access control. By implementing parallelism, the system significantly increases transaction throughput and reduces network traffic. Our solution ensures data integrity, privacy, and interoperability, making it compatible with existing healthcare systems. Experimental results, conducted using the Caliper benchmark, demonstrate notable improvements in transaction throughput and reduced communication overhead. Additionally, the framework provides transparency and real-time drug supply chain monitoring, empowering decision-makers with critical insights.