A study on Electronic Health Records (EHR) in India: Security challenges, initiatives and blockchain integration
Misha Bhargava, Samarjit Mahi, Vidya Rao · Computational Methods in Science and Technology · 2024
With its vast population and extensive healthcare requirements, India is moving toward digitalizing its health records. Safeguarding Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is crucial given the increase in security breaches and attacks, with India&s;s healthcare sector at the forefront. This study provides an overview of EHR security in India by exploring the EHR adoption rate in India and the barriers to its use. It focuses on the significant security challenges they bring, and the initiatives currently being implemented in India, such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and the recently released National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) Digital Health Standards. Integrating Blockchain in current EHR systems to resolve the observed challenges is then explored. The findings of this study show the urgency of integrating emerging technologies such as blockchain which have the potential for patient-controlled data sharing and data immutability possibly within the framework of the ABDM. This study aims to serve as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, researchers and other regions seeking to understand and improve EHR security.