Blockchain-Enabled Cryptography for Intelligent Healthcare Systems.

Abstract

The ongoing digital transformation of healthcaredriven by artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud-based serviceshas led to unprecedented volumes of sensitive health data and novel pathways for care delivery and analytics. However, the highly distributed, heterogeneous and mission-critical nature of modern health systems exposes them to elevated risks of data breaches, tampering, and privacy-erosion. In this paper we present a comprehensive exploration of how blockchain technology, combined with advanced cryptographic frameworks, can serve as the cryptographic backbone of intelligent healthcare ecosystems. We present the architectural foundations, identity and access control models, smart contractenabled compliance, federated learning integration, interoperability and auditability mechanisms. We then examine practical case studies and evaluate performance implications. Finally, we discuss the technical, operational and regulatory challenges and highlight avenues for future researchincluding post-quantum cryptography and hybrid architectures. Our findings demonstrate that blockchain-enabled cryptography offers a promising pathway toward secure, privacy-preserving, interoperable and trustworthy healthcare systems but realising this potential requires careful design, standardisation, and empirical validation.