Design of A Decentralized Medical Data Exchange System Based on the IOTA Tangle

Abstract

The exchange of patient medical records between healthcare providers is essential for quality care but faces challenges related to privacy, security, and centralized control. This article presents the development of a decentralized medical data exchange system using Distributed Ledger Technology based on the IOTA Tangle. The system architecture and core components for immutable storage and transmission of medical records are described. The system uses masking and encryption techniques to maintain patient privacy while allowing healthcare providers to access full records with patient consent. The IOTA Tangle enables fee-less transactions and data integrity verification via its Directed Acyclic Graph structure. System validation through simulation experiments demonstrates the ability to securely share medical data at scale with lower resource costs compared to traditional blockchain designs. The system proves the viability of a decentralized, self-sovereign approach for efficient and confidential medical data sharing using Distributed Ledger Technology. The secure data exchange platform can enable new models of care and research while maintaining patient privacy and healthcare ethics.