Performance Optimization in Blockchain Networks for Healthcare Systems Using Adaptive Sharding
Sharad Katkol, Praveen M. Dhulavvagol, Shashikumar G. Totad · Procedia Computer Science · 2025
Blockchain technology has the potential to transform healthcare data management by enhancing security, transparency, and data integrity. However, scalability, latency, and privacy concerns have limited its application in high-volume, sensitive environments such as healthcare. This paper introduces a blockchain architecture that addresses these challenges through adaptive sharding and rule-based data partitioning. The adaptive sharding algorithm dynamically adjusts shard configurations in response to real-time network demands, optimizing resource allocation and improving scalability. Meanwhile, rule-based data partitioning organizes transactions across shards based on specific attributes, such as transaction type or geographic region, to minimize cross-shard communication and improving processing efficiency. Together, these methods increase transaction throughput by 34% and reduce latency by 9% compared to traditional approaches. Additionally, the system incorporates Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) consensus to strengthen security, along with zero-knowledge proofs and homomorphic encryption to protect sensitive patient data during transaction verification. This architecture provides a comprehensive, scalable, and secure blockchain solution tailored to the unique needs of healthcare data management, addressing critical limitations while maintaining privacy and data integrity.