The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has partnered with IBM to develop a system that would collect and secure information on public health issues using blockchain technology, Fast Company reported Tuesday.

The blockchain-based platform will help the CDC coordinate with medical providers regarding patient information, including health conditions.

IBM will offer its cloud systems to store the medical records obtained through hospital electronic record systems.

David McElroy, a blockchain technical lead for IBMâ€™s federal business unit, said the blockchain technology will help protect sensitive patient information by identifying the entities permitted to access the medical files delivered to the CDC.

Users of the blockchain system will be able to receive the encryption keys for IBMâ€™s cloud offerings, as well as update information about entities authorized to access certain health data.

The CDC may partner with electronic health record providers in the future to test the blockchain system with simulated data, the report said.