Just throwing this out there ... the volume of patient medical records is ... staggering. Building that into the block chain would be increasing its size manyfold I imagine. Given the huge variety of different EMRs out there, there'd be a significant interoperability problem, as well as issues involved with translating multimedia records into the blockchain.
That's specifically why I suggested that this should be separate from the Blockchain... a medchain instead;
it won't have the hashing power of the bitcoin network behind it, but I suspect that that much power isn't necessary in a closed system (i.e., the general public won't/shouldn't be allowed access to a system like this in any meaningful way - you don't want hackers wiping things out, if they were able to 51% it, nor do you want patient information getting disclosed, etc).
Interoperability could also be an issue, but one could describe system and access requirements for participants - if a drs office wants to participate, store patient files (WITH patient approval), they could, but they would need to use the "approved" client software, most likely from approved locations.
Storing data is one thing.
Securing it with a block chain is another.
Access control - that's the biggie; you don't want unauthorized people to gain access to either the whole system or to individual records within the system. Encryption would need to be centric - if someone did get their hands on the medchain, you don't want them being able to decipher everyones details. Per users access would need to be grantable and revocable. And again, the sheer data requirements would be astronomical for each participating physician/hospital.... If everything was on one chain.
Next though - each client gets their own blockchain.
Lowers the data requirements.
But then the real question would be, how worried are we about peoples files or histories being altered after the fact? Is a blockchain even necessary, as opposed to journalling or revision control?
I think I got ahead of myself and should shut up.
sorry!