An Integrated Framework for Patient-Centric Healthcare: Leveraging Blockchain, IoMT, and SDN with 5G Connectivity for Remote Monitoring

Abstract

The evolution of healthcare towards patient-centric models and remote monitoring is rapidly accelerating, driven by technological advancements and global health challenges. Traditional healthcare systems often struggle with data fragmentation, security vulnerabilities, and interoperability issues, hindering efficient patient management and continuous care. This article proposes a novel, integrated architectural framework that leverages the synergistic capabilities of Blockchain, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and Software-Defined Networking (SDN), all powered by 5G technology, to facilitate secure, efficient, and patient-centric remote healthcare. The framework addresses critical aspects of data integrity, privacy, real-time monitoring, and dynamic network management. The methodology outlines the design principles and the integration of these key technologies, while the results detail a multi-layered architecture encompassing IoMT data acquisition, 5G communication, SDN-driven intelligent routing, immutable Blockchain records, and advanced AI/ML analytics. The discussion highlights the profound implications for enhanced patient engagement, robust data security, and the transformative potential for remote patient monitoring, alongside acknowledging the inherent challenges and outlining future research directions to realize a truly intelligent and resilient healthcare ecosystem.