PhD Proposal Sample: Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Developing a framework to secure patient information using blockchain technology 

1. Introduction

Healthcare organizations across the world are experiencing significant transitions in data management, access, control, and disease treatment. With the growing demand for digital systems in the healthcare industry, organizations are using digital systems to store and manage patient information. While relying on digital systems makes data more accessible, it also increases the risk of attracting cybercriminals (Almulihi et al., 2022). As most of the patient data is moved online, healthcare organizations prefer to use data servers to store and manage data. However, these databases are often prone to software vulnerabilities. Thus, when exposed to unauthorized individuals, it may expose sensitive patient data to attackers.

Liu et al. (2015) noted that from 2005 to 2015, a total of 157.40 million people were affected by healthcare data breaches. Furthermore, Seh et al. (2020) highlighted that the average cost of a big data breach in the healthcare industry was $3.92 million in 2019. The sensitive nature of patient information, including personal health records, financial data, and genetic information, makes data from the healthcare industry a lucrative target for cybercriminals. While traditional security measures have proved to be effective to some extent, these methods alone are insufficient in combating the evolving threat landscape of patient data. As a result, there is a need for a robust and promising solution, such as blockchain technology, to protect crucial patient data. Since blockchain uses a decentralized and transparent digital ledger, it offers comprehensive security features that can significantly boost the protection of patient information.

The efficiency of blockchain technology has been successfully studied in areas such as retail, supply chain management, and banking. Similarly in the healthcare sector, the technology shows potential to address critical cybersecurity challenges and provide a framework for better data privacy and integrity. The aim of this research proposal is to develop a comprehensive framework for securing patient information within the healthcare sector using blockchain technology. By incorporating blockchain’s unique capabilities, this research seeks to contribute to a more secure and resilient healthcare ecosystem.

2. Problem statement

As healthcare data is highly valuable, it is becoming increasingly universal. Akarca et al. (2019) noted that the amount of medical information doubles every 73 days. This raises the need to secure health data integrity and provide patients with complete access to their healthcare information. While countries from the US and the European region are taking regulatory measures to promote cybersecurity in healthcare, it is important for other countries to maintain the integrity of their patient data. Both developed and developing countries face unique challenges in managing and securing patient information systems. A common reason behind this is the dependency of healthcare organizations on outdated digital infrastructure.

Implementing modern technologies such as the blockchain is often considered expensive and time-consuming. Similarly, other critical obstacles in the healthcare information landscape are the incompatibility of data systems, exclusive data formats, and non-standardized data structures. This fragmentation further creates significant barriers to effective patient care and results in incomplete patient records during transfers. Moreover, it may result in delayed access to critical information and increase the risk of medical errors. The complexity is compounded by the high costs associated with custom integration solutions and time-consuming implementation processes. Thus, making it difficult for healthcare organizations to achieve seamless data exchange while maintaining security standards.

Addressing these challenges requires a fundamental framework that can enhance the cybersecurity of healthcare information. This research proposal aims to propose a blockchain-based framework that will not only provide a comprehensive solution to enhanced data security mechanisms but also help in improving data accessibility, control, and safety. By understanding the various challenges associated with securing patient data, the framework will further seek to establish a more secure and efficient ecosystem that meets both the current and emerging security needs in the healthcare industry.

3. Research objectives

The research proposal aims to address the following primary objectives to achieve the aim of the study.

• To develop a comprehensive blockchain-based framework for securing patient health information.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of existing mechanisms in healthcare blockchain implementations.
• To design and implement frameworks for automated data access, control, and audit.
• To measure the performance and scalability of the proposed framework.
• To validate the framework through real-world implementation and testing.

4. Literature review

In the past decade, the healthcare industry has witnessed a significant evolution in the field of cybersecurity. With organizations moving patient records to online databases, there has also been an unexpected increase in the rise of cyber threats targeting healthcare organizations (Quasim et al., 2020). Recently, Javaid et al. (2023) noted that in the healthcare industry, there has been a 123% increase in the number of security incidents between 2020 and 2023. The research also highlighted that 67% of healthcare organizations experienced at least one significant security breach, such as ransomware, during this timeframe. This shows that healthcare facilities across the world now represent the most targeted sector for cybercriminals. Furthermore, Yanamala (2023) stated the need for a robust security solution to protect patient data in healthcare environments.

In another study, Zhang et al. (2024) suggested that cyber threats in the healthcare industry have become more complicated due to the increase in the number of attackers targeting healthcare databases. While data privacy and safety are crucial for healthcare organizations, the motive behind stealing healthcare data remains unclear (Quasim et al., 2020). However, the study also observed that the healthcare data is not perishable, which makes it a valuable asset for cybercriminals. As a result, conventional cybersecurity approaches, such as standard encryption and access control mechanisms, might prove insufficient in preventing sophisticated attacks on healthcare organizations. This increases the need to develop a robust framework that can be efficient in safeguarding the unique vulnerabilities of the healthcare system.

5. Blockchain technology in healthcare

The emergence of blockchain technology as a potential solution for healthcare security challenges has gained significant attention in recent academic literature (Alamri et al., 2022). Healthcare organizations that implement blockchain-based security frameworks experienced a 60% reduction in data breach incidents as compared to those using traditional security measures (Anderson et al., 2023). Blockchain is a popular technology that uses a decentralized database distributed between different participant nodes. It is widely used for leveraging huge databases and developing a sophisticated framework for protecting critical information. The decentralized nature of blockchain makes it an ideal technology for protecting data from unauthorized entities. The use of blockchain not only ensures that only authenticated entities can access data assets but also controls the life cycle of data in any information system (Lesavre et al., 2019).

Wenhua et al. (2023) conducted a study on the advantages and disadvantages of blockchain technology in the healthcare industry. The study found that blockchain technology provides an efficient data structure with various security properties such as cryptography, decentralization, and consensus. It also has a variety of applications in the healthcare sector and can be beneficial in protecting data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. However, as blockchain requires data to be stored electronically, it may result in challenges between public and private blockchains. This may limit data privacy protection and also lead to significant data storage costs. However, Gong et al. (2018) argued that these security challenges can be overcome by using parallel security systems supported by artificial intelligence.

Davidson and Lee (2023) conducted an in-depth analysis of different blockchain architectures specifically designed for healthcare applications. Their research compared various consensus mechanisms, including Proof of Authority (PoA), Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT), and modified Proof of Stake (PoS) systems, evaluating their suitability for healthcare environments. The study concluded that hybrid blockchain models, combining private and public chain characteristics, showed the most promise for healthcare applications, offering an optimal balance between security, performance, and scalability. Their findings indicated that properly implemented blockchain systems could reduce data access latency by 40% while maintaining HIPAA compliance and improving data integrity verification.

6. Methodology

The proposed research aims to use a mixed-methods approach by combining quantitative and qualitative research techniques. This approach will help in conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the existing blockchain-based healthcare security framework. Moreover, it will help in the collection and analysis of both technical and user-centric data. Due to the technical nature of this research, this data will help in creating a robust framework that can be effectively used in real-world healthcare applications. Furthermore, quantitative data will help in understanding the different assets involved in implementing blockchain technology in the healthcare sector.

Due to the complex nature of technology and practical applications, a variety of assets such as software, hardware, applications, and technologies will be required to be analyzed (Alamri et al., 2022). For example, the research will categorize these assets and focus on understanding the parameters of each asset involved. Here, assets can be categorized into primary assets, such as the Internet of Things and secondary assets, such as devices, networks, clouds, and applications. Similarly, other assets involved in the application of blockchain technology include authentication, authorization, and operations. These assets will altogether act as components in providing services to healthcare organizations for data storage and handling. Additionally, by collecting quantitative data, the research will be able to identify the barriers to implementing the proposed blockchain framework in different real-time applications.

The quantitative component of the research will focus on the technical performance and security effectiveness of the blockchain-based system. It will further include the analysis of system logs, security metrics, and various performance indicators. Statistical analysis techniques will be used to thoroughly evaluate the framework’s ability to meet the demanding requirements of healthcare environments. Through statistical analysis, the research will ensure the framework is compliant with regulatory standards and resilient against cyber threats. On the other hand, the qualitative data will be collected by conducting in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals such as clinicians, IT staff, and administrative personnel. This will help in understanding their expectations from the blockchain framework and enhancing its efficiency and integration with the existing systems.

7. Ethical considerations

Due to the nature of the proposed research, it is surrounded by several critical ethical considerations that must be thoroughly addressed throughout the study. For example, the primary ethical concern is the protection of patient data privacy. As the research involves the development and implementation of a framework to manage sensitive electronic health records, the researchers will be assigned highly confidential information. Strict protocols such as data anonymization and encryption techniques will be established to ensure the secure handling of all patient data. All participants in the study, including healthcare providers and patients, will be required to provide informed consent for the use of their data. The researchers will distribute consent forms to all the participants that will clearly outline the data collection and usage procedures. It will also consist of the detailed measures taken to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the information.

8. Research contributions and limitations

The proposed research on developing a blockchain-based framework for securing healthcare information systems aims at offering technical, practical, and theoretical contributions in the field of healthcare cybersecurity. The main agenda of this research is to design a practical framework to secure crucial patient data. It will use the latest techniques and suggest protocols to create a secure and robust digital healthcare infrastructure. Moreover, the research will lay the groundwork for future research and interdisciplinary collaboration in the healthcare technology sector. However, the research also has potential limitations. For example, to address the changing technological needs of the healthcare sector, further research will be needed to address performance and scalability concerns. Similarly, as the regulatory environment surrounding healthcare data security continues to evolve, the proposed framework may need to be periodically reviewed and updated to maintain compliance with changing requirements.

9. Conclusion

As the healthcare sector continues to adjust to the evolving cybersecurity landscape, it is important to propose a framework that can help secure critical patient data. The successful implementation of the proposed blockchain-based framework can redefine the way patient data is protected, shared, and managed in healthcare organizations. It will assist healthcare providers in delivering quality healthcare solutions with better confidence, efficiency, and trust. Apart from offering technical, theoretical, and practical contributions, the research will play a key role in addressing the limitations of applying blockchain technology in the healthcare industry.

References

Akarca, D., Xiu, P. Y., Ebbitt, D., Mustafa, B., Al-Ramadhani, H., & Albeyatti, A. (2019, June). Blockchain secured electronic health records: Patient rights, privacy and cybersecurity. In 2019 10th international conference on dependable systems, services and technologies (DESSERT) (pp. 108-111). IEEE.

Alamri, B., Crowley, K., & Richardson, I. (2022). Cybersecurity risk management framework for blockchain identity management systems in health IoT. Sensors, 23(1), 218.

Almulihi, A. H., Alassery, F., Khan, A. I., Shukla, S., Gupta, B. K., & Kumar, R. (2022). Analyzing the Implications of Healthcare Data Breaches through Computational Technique. Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, 32(3).

Anderson, C., Carvalho, A., Kaul, M., & Merhout, J. W. (2023). Blockchain innovation for consent self-management in health information exchanges. Decision Support Systems, 174, 114021.

Gong, X., Liu, X., Jing, S., Xiong, G., & Zhou, J. (2018, November). Parallel-education-blockchain driven smart education: Challenges and issues. In 2018 Chinese Automation Congress (CAC) (pp. 2390-2395). IEEE.

Javaid, M., Haleem, A., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2023). Towards insighting cybersecurity for healthcare domains: A comprehensive review of recent practices and trends. Cyber Security and Applications, 1, 100016.

Lesavre, L., Varin, P., Mell, P., Davidson, M., & Shook, J. (2019). A taxonomic approach to understanding emerging blockchain identity management systems. arXiv preprint arXiv:1908.00929.

Liu, V., Musen, M. A., & Chou, T. (2015). Data breaches of protected health information in the United States. Jama, 313(14), 1471-1473.

Quasim, M. T., Algarni, F., Radwan, A. A. E., & Alshmrani, G. M. M. (2020, July). A blockchain based secured healthcare framework. In 2020 International Conference on Computational Performance Evaluation (ComPE) (pp. 386-391). IEEE.

Seh, A. H., Zarour, M., Alenezi, M., Sarkar, A. K., Agrawal, A., Kumar, R., & Ahmad Khan, R. (2020, May). Healthcare data breaches: insights and implications. In Healthcare (Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 133). MDPI.

Wenhua, Z., Qamar, F., Abdali, T. A. N., Hassan, R., Jafri, S. T. A., & Nguyen, Q. N. (2023). Blockchain technology: security issues, healthcare applications, challenges and future trends. Electronics, 12(3), 546.

Yanamala, A. K. Y. (2023). Data-driven and artificial intelligence (AI) approach for modelling and analyzing healthcare security practice: a systematic review. Revista de Inteligencia Artificial en Medicina, 14(1), 54-83.

Zhang, X., Wang, C., Liu, R., & Yang, S. (2024). Federated rnn-based detection of ransomware attacks: A privacy-preserving approach.