Open Access

ARTICLE

Blockchain and Smart Contracts: An Effective Approach for the Transaction Security & Privacy in Electronic Medical Records

Amal Al-Rasheed¹, Hashim Ali^2,*, Rahim Khan^2,*, Aamir Saeed³

1 Department of Information Systems, College of Computer and Information Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia
2 Department of Computer Science, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
3 Department of Computer Science and IT, University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Jalozai Campus, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

* Corresponding Authors: Hashim Ali. Email: ; Rahim Khan. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Distributed Computing with Applications to IoT and BlockChain)

Computers, Materials & Continua 2025, 85(2), 3419-3436. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmc.2025.065156

Received 05 March 2025; Accepted 16 July 2025; Issue published 23 September 2025

Abstract

In the domain of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), emerging technologies are crucial to addressing longstanding concerns surrounding transaction security and patient privacy. This paper explores the integration of smart contracts and blockchain technology as a robust framework for securing sensitive healthcare data. By leveraging the decentralized and immutable nature of blockchain, the proposed approach ensures transparency, integrity, and traceability of EMR transactions, effectively mitigating risks of unauthorized access and data tampering. Smart contracts further enhance this framework by enabling the automation and enforcement of secure transactions, eliminating reliance on intermediaries and reducing the potential for human error. This integration marks a paradigm shift in management and exchange of healthcare information, fostering a secure and privacy-preserving ecosystem for all stakeholders. The research also evaluates the practical implementation of blockchain and smart contracts within healthcare systems, examining their real-world effectiveness in enhancing transactional security, safeguarding patient privacy, and maintaining data integrity. Findings from the study contribute valuable insights to the growing body of work on digital healthcare innovation, underscoring the potential of these technologies to transform EMR systems with high accuracy and precision. As global healthcare systems continue to face the challenge of protecting sensitive patient data, the proposed framework offers a forward-looking, scalable, and effective solution aligned with the evolving digital healthcare landscape.

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Keywords

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