BlockIoT: Blockchain-based Health Data Integration using IoT Devices

Abstract

The development and adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and health monitoring Internet of Things (IoT) Devices have enabled digitization of patient records and has also substantially transformed the healthcare delivery system in aspects such as remote patient monitoring, healthcare decision making, and medical research. However, data tends to be fragmented among health infrastructures, and prevents interoperability of medical data at the point of care. In order to address this gap, we introduce BlockIoT that uses blockchain technology to transfer previously inaccessible and centralized data from medical devices to EHR systems, which provides greater insight to providers who can, in turn, provide better outcomes for patients. This notion of interoperability of medical device data is possible through an Application Programming Interface (API), which serves as a versatile endpoint for all incoming medical device data, a distributed file system that ensures data resilience, and knowledge templates that analyze, identify, and represent medical device data to providers. Our participatory design survey on BlockIoT demonstrates that BlockIoT is a suitable system to supplement physicians' clinical practice and increases efficiency in most healthcare specialties, including cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, and primary care.

Figure 1:

High-level Overview of the Data Streams Integrated into the BlockIoT System

Figure 2:

Synthetic Patient Charts from BlockIoT Shown to Evaluators