Blockchain for Secure Data Storage and Sharing in Healthcare Systems

The healthcare industry faces significant challenges in managing sensitive patient data, with persistent concerns around data security, privacy, and interoperability. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, transparent, and immutable characteristics, offers a promising solution to address these issues in modern healthcare systems. This study adopts a systematic review approach, guided by the PRISMA framework, to examine the potential of blockchain for enhancing data storage and sharing within healthcare, focusing on its capacity to secure Electronic Health Records (EHRs), improve patient privacy, and enable seamless data exchange among stakeholders. A total of 48 relevant articles published between 2016 and 2025 were systematically reviewed, drawing from multiple reputable databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Studies were selected based on explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria focusing on empirical and conceptual analyses of blockchain’s role in healthcare. Thematic analysis of the reviewed literature revealed three key themes: blockchain’s contribution to strengthening data security and patient privacy, its role in facilitating interoperability across diverse health information systems, and the technical, regulatory, and cost-related barriers hindering widespread adoption. Real-world implementations such as Estonia’s national blockchain-based health system, IBM’s Food Trust Blockchain, and the MedRec platform illustrate practical applications and benefits. Despite its potential, challenges related to scalability, integration with legacy systems, and regulatory compliance remain. Proposed solutions include hybrid blockchain models and increased collaboration between technology developers, healthcare providers, and policymakers. Future directions highlighted in the review suggest promising synergies between blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) for advancing personalized medicine, telehealth, and patient-controlled health records. Overall, the findings underscore blockchain’s transformative capacity for creating secure, patient-centred, and interoperable healthcare systems, while emphasizing the need for ongoing research and stakeholder cooperation to overcome existing barriers.