Author: Xinjian Zhang
Supervisor: Mubashar Iqbal
Abstract: The healthcare industry faces increasing challenges like rising costs, fragmented data, and a growing demand for personalized care. Digital Twin (DT) technology offers a promising response by enabling real-time monitoring and predictive analytics through virtual replicas of physical entities. However, its adoption in healthcare remains limited due to concerns about data security, interoperability, and system scalability. This study proposes a blockchain-enabled DT framework designed specifically for healthcare applications. The framework integrates secure data sharing, traceability, and tamper resistance through blockchain technology. Developed using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the framework design is informed by a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that identifies core DT components and implementation challenges in healthcare contexts. A prototype was implemented using a smart patient room scenario to demonstrate feasibility. The system combines IoT sensors, Azure Digital Twins (ADT), and Ethereum-based blockchain logging to support real-time monitoring and secure data handling. Evaluation through stakeholder interviews revealed that the system was perceived as intuitive, technically sound, and clinically relevant, though limited in functionality due to its prototype nature. The results of this work demonstrate how DT and blockchain technology can be integrated into a cohesive framework that supports secure, responsive, and modular digital healthcare systems. Additionally, this work offers both practical insights and theoretical contributions toward advancing the role of emerging technologies in modern healthcare systems.