A Blockchain-Enabled Internet of Things Framework for Enhancing Trust and Privacy in Social Work Case Management

Traditional social work case management systems face critical challenges including data silos, security vulnerabilities, and insufficient inter-agency collaboration, limiting service efficiency and compromising client privacy protection. This study addresses these challenges by developing and evaluating a novel technological framework that integrates blockchain consortium networks with Internet of Things (IoT) devices to establish multi-party trust mechanisms and enhance service delivery. The research contribution is a comprehensive four-layer system architecture featuring 28 smart contracts, decentralized trust mechanisms, and privacy-preserving technologies including homomorphic encryption and differential privacy for social work applications. The methodology employed a mixed-methods approach involving system design and development, followed by a six-month pilot implementation across three social work institutions in Taiwan with 249 participants. Data collection encompassed quantitative performance metrics from system logs and IoT sensors, alongside qualitative feedback through interviews and focus groups. The blockchain network achieved 850 transactions per second with 99.2% system availability, significantly outperforming industry standards. Results demonstrated substantial operational improvements: 37.1% reduction in case processing time, 87.3% increase in service efficiency, and 26-fold increase in inter-agency collaboration frequency. The blockchain-based trust mechanism increased inter-agency data sharing willingness from 61.3% to 84.6%, while maintaining 100% anonymization coverage with 91.3% analytical accuracy. Cost-benefit analysis revealed a 2.8-year payback period with 41.2% return on investment. This research demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of blockchain-IoT integration in social work, providing a practical framework for digital transformation while ensuring data security and privacy protection in sensitive social service environments.