Developing a multi-trust model for multi-purpose healthcare social networks

Online E-health platforms have enabled patients to obtain useful references on the Internet, as well as to share information and exchange experiences among people with similar diseases. Such social networks also enable researchers and corporates to conduct studies or advocates on targeted groups of patients. To make such a multi-purpose healthcare social network to be practical, concerns must be addressed regarding data security, patients privacy, user and data credibility, as well as how to promote user participation. This paper addresses these concerns as trust-engagement and develops a multi-trust model integrating public key encryption, access control, credible anonymity, and mutual rating mechanism for a multi-purpose healthcare social network.