Blockchain-enabled EHR access auditing: Enhancing healthcare data security

• Published in: Heliyon Vol. 10; no. 16; p. e34407
• Main Authors: Ullah, Faheem, He, Jingsha, Zhu, Nafei, Wajahat, Ahsan, Nazir, Ahsan, Qureshi, Sirajuddin, Pathan, Muhammad Salman, Dev, Soumyabrata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 30-08-2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Access control pattern; EHR access control policy verification; EHR audit logs; EHR audit trail; Purpose-based access control; Smart contract; Purpose-based access control; EHR audit logs; EHR access control policy verification; Smart contract; Access control pattern; EHR audit trail
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34407

In the realm of modern healthcare, Electronic Health Records EHR serve as invaluable assets, yet they also pose significant security challenges. The absence of EHR access auditing mechanisms, which includes the EHR audit trails, results in accountability gaps and magnifies security vulnerabilities. This situation effectively paves the way for unauthorized data alterations to occur without detection or consequences. Inadequate EHR compliance auditing procedures, particularly in verifying and validating access control policies, expose healthcare organizations to risks such as data breaches, and unauthorized data usage. These vulnerabilities result from unchecked unauthorized access activities. Additionally, the absence of EHR audit logs complicates investigations, weakens proactive security measures, and raises concerns to put healthcare institutions at risk. This study addresses the pressing need for robust EHR auditing systems designed to scrutinize access to EHR data, encompassing who accesses it, when, and for what purpose. Our research delves into the complex field of EHR auditing, which includes establishing an immutable audit trail to enhance data security through blockchain technology. We also integrate Purpose-Based Access Control (PBAC) alongside smart contracts to strengthen compliance auditing by validating access legitimacy and reducing unauthorized entries. Our contributions encompass the creation of audit trail of EHR access, compliance auditing via PBAC policy verification, the generation of audit logs, and the derivation of data-driven insights, fortifying EHR access security.