Blockchain-based mechanisms for secure health information resource exchange

Abstract

Technologies are disclosed herein to secure flexible access to the healthcare information resources (HIR) contained within electronic health records (EHR) systems. By managing access permissions with certified self-sovereign identities and distributed ledger techniques, HIR may be secured. Patients and other users may be registered to access a distributed ledger, such as a healthcare blockchain, employed to set, host and adjudicate permissions to access HIR. Authorized owners and/or patients with rights to their own HIR may be able to grant fine-grained and conditional access permissions to third-parties. Information transfers and transactions occurring according to these permissions may be logged within smart contracts incorporated in the healthcare blockchain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media maintaining instructions executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 identifying that access to a healthcare blockchain is to be established on behalf of a first user;   generating a self-sovereign identity certificate (SIC) associated with the first user;   sending, to a value-added certificate authorization system, a request to certify the SIC for access to a healthcare blockchain;   receiving a request for a plurality of personal identification information associated with the first user;   receiving the plurality of personal identification information;   sending, to the value-added certificate authorization system, the plurality of personal identification information; and   receiving an indication of certification of the SIC as a certified sovereign identity (CSI), wherein the CSI authorizes access to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         2 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a healthcare application;   requesting, the value-added certificate authorization system, to bind the CSI to the healthcare application;   receiving instructions to store the CSI in a digital wallet associated with the healthcare application; and   storing the CSI in the digital wallet of the healthcare application.   
     
     
         3 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 requesting setting a first permission for a first healthcare record for a second user associated with a second CSI; and   receiving confirmation that the first permission is set, wherein the confirmation indicates that a smart contract corresponding to the first permission has been added to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         4 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 requesting setting a second permission for the first healthcare record for a third user associated with a third CSI; and   receiving confirmation that the second permission is set, wherein the confirmation indicates that a second smart contract corresponding to the second permission has been added to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         5 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 3 , wherein the first permission is a conditional permission. 
     
     
         6 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 generating a verification request for a healthcare information resource;   sending the verification request to a blockchain system;   receiving an access token corresponding to the healthcare information resource;   generating a request for the healthcare information resource;   sending, to a resource server, the request for the healthcare information resource and the access token; and   receiving, the healthcare information resource.   
     
     
         7 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 5 , wherein the healthcare information resource is received in a predetermined format, and wherein the operations further comprise displaying the healthcare information resource. 
     
     
         8 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 6 , wherein the healthcare information resource is associated with a second user. 
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a memory that stores computer-executable instructions;   at least one processor configured to access the memory, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:   identify that access to a healthcare blockchain is to be established on behalf of a first user;   generate a self-sovereign identity certificate (SIC) associated with the first user;   send, to a value-added certificate authorization system, a request to certify the SIC for access to a healthcare blockchain;   receive a request for a plurality of personal identification information associated with the first user;   receive the plurality of personal identification information;   send, to the value-added certificate authorization system, the plurality of personal identification information; and   receive an indication of certification of the SIC as a certified sovereign identity (CSI), wherein the CSI authorizes access to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 receive a healthcare application;   request, the value-added certificate authorization system, to bind the CSI to the healthcare application;   receive instructions to store the CSI in a digital wallet associated with the healthcare application; and   store the CSI in the digital wallet of the healthcare application   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 request setting a first permission for a first healthcare record for a second user associated with a second CSI; and   receive confirmation that the first permission is set, wherein the confirmation indicates that a smart contract corresponding to the first permission has been added to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 request setting a second permission for the first healthcare record for a third user associated with a third CSI; and   receive confirmation that the second permission is set, wherein the confirmation indicates that a second smart contract corresponding to the second permission has been added to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 generate a verification request for a healthcare information resource;   send the verification request to a blockchain system;   receive an access token corresponding to the healthcare information resource;   generate a request for the healthcare information resource;   send, to a resource server, the request for the healthcare information resource and the access token; and   receive, the healthcare information resource.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the healthcare information resource is associated with a second user. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 identifying that access to a healthcare blockchain is to be established on behalf of a first user;   generating a self-sovereign identity certificate (SIC) associated with the first user;   sending, to a value-added certificate authorization system, a request to certify the SIC for access to a healthcare blockchain;   receiving a request for a plurality of personal identification information associated with the first user;   receiving the plurality of personal identification information;   sending, to the value-added certificate authorization system, the plurality of personal identification information; and   receiving an indication of certification of the SIC as a certified sovereign identity (CSI), wherein the CSI authorizes access to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving a healthcare application;   requesting, the value-added certificate authorization system, to bind the CSI to the healthcare application;   receiving instructions to store the CSI in a digital wallet associated with the healthcare application; and   storing the CSI in the digital wallet of the healthcare application.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 requesting setting a first permission for a first healthcare record for a second user associated with a second CSI; and   receiving confirmation that the first permission is set, wherein the confirmation indicates that a smart contract corresponding to the first permission has been added to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 requesting setting a second permission for the first healthcare record for a third user associated with a third CSI; and   receiving confirmation that the second permission is set, wherein the confirmation indicates that a second smart contract corresponding to the second permission has been added to the healthcare blockchain.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the first permission is a conditional permission. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 generating a verification request for a healthcare information resource;   sending the verification request to a blockchain system;   receiving an access token corresponding to the healthcare information resource;   generating a request for the healthcare information resource;   sending, to a resource server, the request for the healthcare information resource and the access token; and   receiving, the healthcare information resource.