Secure, privacy-preserving sharing and analysis of health data is foundational to precision medicine, population health, and telehealth services. Emerging quantum networks promise fundamentally new communication primitives (entanglement, quantum key distribution) that when integrated with advanced AI architectures can enable end-to-end secure healthcare systems with improved confidentiality, tamper resistance, and novel distributed computation modes. This article develops a systematic framework for integrating quantum communications and cryptography with classical and hybrid quantum–classical AI models in healthcare. We (a) summarize the enabling quantum network technologies and AI building blocks, (b) propose layered system architectures and protocols for secure data exchange and collaborative learning, (c) formalize threat models and privacy requirements in healthcare contexts, (d) discuss algorithmic integrations (federated learning with QKD, quantum-enhanced machine learning, secure multiparty quantum protocols), (e) provide evaluation metrics and prototype deployment roadmaps, and (f) identify research gaps and regulatory implications. The treatment is scholarly yet practical, aimed at researchers, engineers, and healthcare stakeholders planning future-proof secure AI systems. (Keywords: quantum networks; quantum key distribution; quantum machine learning; federated learning; healthcare security; privacy.)
Elaine Clark (Sun,) studied this question.