Using Amazon Managed Blockchain for ePHI An Analysis of Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum

Abstract

Blockchains emerged in the past decade with applications across a myriad of domains, however this nascent field has so far been commonly associated with cryptocurrencies. The secure and decentralized nature of blockchains offers benefits across a wide range of industries, including healthcare which remains the largest focus of cyber crimes today. In this work, we demonstrate a Blockchain implementation as a proof of concept for the storage of electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We use two Amazon Managed Blockchain services, Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum, to store medical data in Amazon Web Services (AWS). While the two frameworks provide a secure resource for medical data, depending on the chosen implementation, the cost can grow quickly based on the number of requests, which may make them prohibitive for applications such as COVID-19 vaccine passports.