Decentralized Electronic Health Records using Ethereum and IPFS: A Blockchain-Based Secure Access Framework

Abstract

In 2023, over 15 million health records were exposed, highlighting vulnerabilities in traditional Electronic Health Records (EHRs). This paper proposes a novel Ethereum-based decentralized EHR system to enhance security, privacy, and patient agency in Healthcare 4.0. Unlike prior systems like MedRec and Patientory, our framework introduces a time-bound emergency access protocol, reducing critical care response time by$\mathbf{2 0 \%}$, and an AI-driven module for digitizing paper records. ZeroKnowledge Proofs (ZKPs) ensure privacy-preserving verification, while the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) provides scalable, tamper-proof storage. A ReactJS application with MetaMask empowers patients with data ownership. Integrated with FHIR/HL7 standards and GDPR-compliant, the system supports smart city initiatives. Prototype testing demonstrates robust scalability, paving the way for patient-centric national digital health frameworks.