Building Trust in Healthcare with Privacy Techniques: Blockchain in the Cloud

TL;DR

The paper addresses secure, auditable patient consent for healthcare data in the NewbornTime project using blockchain and cloud integration. It proposes a blockchain-driven consent application with Ethereum smart contracts and a web interface to manage consent, verify real-time consent in the delivery room, and link data via Study IDs. The main contributions include the HealthcareConsent.sol contract, a modular system architecture (Consent Portal, cloud blockchain, cloud reporting, and real-time verification), and a consent statistics dashboard, along with privacy safeguards such as encryption and data minimization. Experimental results reveal measurable gas costs, throughput limits, and scalability trends, demonstrating privacy-preserving data handling while highlighting performance trade-offs and directions for optimization. The work demonstrates the practical potential of combining blockchain and cloud technologies to improve trust, data integrity, and governance in healthcare research data sharing.

Abstract

This study introduces a cutting-edge architecture developed for the NewbornTime project, which uses advanced AI to analyze video data at birth and during newborn resuscitation, with the aim of improving newborn care. The proposed architecture addresses the crucial issues of patient consent, data security, and investing trust in healthcare by integrating Ethereum blockchain with cloud computing. Our blockchain-based consent application simplifies patient consent's secure and transparent management. We explain the smart contract mechanisms and privacy measures employed, ensuring data protection while permitting controlled data sharing among authorized parties. This work demonstrates the potential of combining blockchain and cloud technologies in healthcare, emphasizing their role in maintaining data integrity, with implications for computer science and healthcare innovation.

Figures (7)

• Figure 1: Initial screen for user consent submission, requiring phone number verification.
• Figure 2: User dashboard offering options to give consent, view/edit consents, or modify personal information.
• Figure 3: Overview of the user’s given consent with options to edit or withdraw consent.
• Figure 4: Consent editing interface where users can withdraw their consent for specific purposes.
• Figure 5: Consent Statistics Dashboard displaying trends, distributions, and detailed records for consent management.