Consensus Algorithm for Healthcare Using Blockchain
Faizan Salim, A John, E. Rajesh, Abhishek Kumar · 2022
Blockchain was first invented in 1991 by Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta. They wanted to create a system where tampering of time-stamps in documents could be stopped, which ultimately led to the blockchain's creation. There is a myth that blockchain can store only financial transactions, which is false because we can store any type of data in the blockchain. The network of computers connected mining the blocks for rewards, this connected group of networks is called a peer-to-peer network and is also referred to as p2p network. The main types of types of blockchain are Public Blockchain, Private Blockchain, Consortium Blockchain, and Hybrid Blockchain. Usage of consensus in the blockchain is very important because blockchain is based on a distributed network, where we always need to decide fairly which node should be the next primary node that will be able to add the next block to the chain. Consensus algorithms work as the basic building block of the blockchain, without which, the whole technology is a failure. There are various consensus algorithms available, which need to be chosen wisely, depending on the type of application and sector in which we are implementing blockchain as a technology. The main problem with proof of work is that it is very expensive and requires a lot of computing power to solve complex mathematical problems, which are of no use to humanity. The healthcare system can get revolutionized with the implementation of blockchain-based mechanisms. Personal healthcare and external record management are the two main blockchain networks that could help implement blockchain in the healthcare system. The main problem with the current healthcare system, that is, data are not available to all, research fields are very slow due to lack of data, and the available data are also inefficient and adequate. The practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance algorithm enables us to communicate with other peers without having a third party in between, hence decreasing the risk of fraud and removing the high costs charged by the middlemen, thus making blockchain cost-effective. The primary concern in the management of healthcare data is the security of the healthcare data and maintaining the data's ownership. With the present proposed implementation, almost all the concerns have been addressed and those remaining will be soon worked upon.