Security and Privacy Challenges Hindering the Adoption of E-Healthcare Systems

Abstract

The adoption of e-healthcare systems is significantly hindered by privacy and security concerns, as exposure and abuse of personal health information can lead to serious privacy breaches for patients. Patients may suffer from unequal treatment, such as termination of employment or insurance if their deteriorating health condition becomes known to their employers. Despite the general assumption that the cloud operates under the honest-but-curious model and can execute protocol specifications perfectly, it is still vulnerable to extracting a patient's private PHI during data transmission and storage. This paper highlights the potential risks associated with such systems, including the possibility of inequitable treatment, termination of contracts, and insurance policies. The paper also discusses the use of cloud-based systems and the challenges they present in terms of security management and scalability. It concludes by stressing the importance of addressing these issues to develop a more robust e-healthcare system.