Performance analysis of a private blockchain network built on Hyperledger Fabric for healthcare

The healthcare industry suffers from poor interoperability due to its fragmented communication systems. Each medical institution has a communication system that is not necessarily compatible with the other systems on the same network. Poor communication has serious implications for patients, resources, and costs. The literature proposes blockchain technology as a governance data management system that optimizes the flow of information between multiple organizations by providing a trust component. However, much of the literature is conceptual and addresses blockchain in healthcare in a very general way. This paper contributes to the literature by presenting the use of Hyperledger Fabric in healthcare to improve information flow and solve the fragmentation problem between two medical institutions. In addition, two rate controllers on Hyperledger Caliper are used to evaluate the performance of our network: fixed and linear. We believe that our work will be useful for those working in value chains in healthcare and academia.

Automated summary

The healthcare industry faces challenges in interoperability due to fragmented communication systems. Blockchain technology is proposed as a governance data management system to optimize information flow between organizations. However, current literature lacks specific application in the healthcare sector. This study contributes to the field by using Hyperledger Fabric to improve information flow and solve fragmentation between two medical institutions. Performance evaluation is conducted using rate controllers on Hyperledger Caliper. This work is valuable for healthcare professionals and academia.