Securing Data Management in Healthcare Systems Using Blockchain

This paper presents the design and development of a secure blockchain-based healthcare data management system aimed at addressing critical challenges in medical data confidentiality, integrity, and interoperability. The proposed solution leverages permissioned blockchain network, smart contracts, and distributed off-chain storage to enable tamper-proof, transparent, and patient-centric data sharing among hospitals, laboratories, and healthcare providers. By integrating cryptographic mechanisms such as SHA-256 hashing, AES-256 encryption, and decentralized access control policies, the system ensures secure storage and controlled retrieval of sensitive medical records.The backend is implemented using Solidity-based smart contracts, while the frontend utilizes React for intuitivedata visualization and user interaction. The system incorporates automated audit trails, identity verification through MetaMask,and real-time integrity validation for uploaded medical files. Furthermore, the architecture is designed to be modular andextensible so that new healthcare providers and services can be onboarded with minimal configuration overhead. Performance evaluations demonstrate efficient transaction handling with an average smart contract execution time of 4.1 seconds and data verification accuracy of 99.98%. Experimental analysis under varying network and data load conditions confirms that the proposed approach maintains acceptable latency while significantly enhancing data security and traceability.Overall, the framework enhances data security, improves interoperability, and empowers patients with greater control over theirhealth information in modern digital healthcare ecosystems.Index Terms—Blockchain, Healthcare Data Security, Smart Contracts, Distributed Ledger Technology, Access Control, DataIntegrity, Electronic Medical Records