Blockchain integration in healthcare: a comprehensive investigation of use cases, performance issues, and mitigation strategies

This study conducts a rigorous investigation into the integration of blockchain within healthcare infrastructures, specifically focusing on technical performance metrics such as throughput, latency, and resource overhead. The authors analyze a diverse set of use cases, including drug tracking, patient data sharing, and medical image exchange, to identify where performance bottlenecks occur within these implementations. A unique aspect of this research is the critical assessment of mitigation strategies, such as the use of sidechains, off-chain storage solutions, and consensus optimization techniques designed to improve system performance. By bridging the gap between theoretical application and empirical performance testing, the paper provides evidence-based insights into the feasibility of deploying blockchain in high-frequency clinical environments. The work concludes that while blockchain offers distinct advantages for data integrity, specific technical trade-offs regarding storage efficiency and transaction speed must be addressed through optimized architectural designs and layered scaling solutions.