The wide-range application of blockchain technology has been instrumental in the healthcare industry. Over the past years, there has been a keen interest in applying components of blockchain technology in improving the state of healthcare in certain countries. The security and decentralized service provided by the network without the presence of a central authority or third-party is impeccable and considered to provide a positive effect in the healthcare field.
The applications of blockchain range beyond financial services. Its diverse interest has triggered large tech firms such as IBM and Microsoft to invest time, money, and personnel in developing blockchain-based technologies for industrial use.
Realizing the relevance of blockchain to the Healthcare sector, the interest has now shifted to healthcare technologies. Initially, there was an expected resistance but the narrative changed along the way when people got to the bigger picture. Many professionals now rely on blockchain for short-term proposals such as data variation, auditing, and authorization.
An example of blockchain implementation in healthcare is a partnership between the government of Estonia and a security firm called Guardtime that aims to create a blockchain-based framework that validates patients. Each citizen was assigned a smartcard that associates their health data (EHR) with their blockchain identity. Any changes in the EHR data reflects in the blockchain. These systems ensure that data stored in the EHR is immutable and not prone to malicious tampering. Any update in the health records will be assigned a timestamp and stored in a block. This system is highly sophisticated and can guarantee that modifications to the healthcare records are secure and auditable.
Other applications of blockchain technology in healthcare include:
1.Research
Currently, patient records that account for all the health data of a patient in an organization are stored electronically. But with the introduction of blockchain, patient records can be extended and stored globally on the blockchain network. This allows researchers to have legitimate access to thousands of records, which promotes research.
2.High performance
With blockchain, a single system is responsible for every stored health record which can be retrieved rapidly by any authorized personnel. This improves the performance of operations in healthcare. It also reduces miscommunication about a patient because of the numerous health records in several medical centers.
3.Data security
Health records are properly secured when stored in the blockchain network. Electronic records stored in medical centers are prone to data breaches and digital hacking. Because each individual is characterized with a private key, hacking is limited by the need to attack each user individually.
4.Outbreak and disease tracking
Blockchain can track reporting of outbreaks and diseases around the world in real-time. It can also help in tracking diseases to their origin and transmission mode.
Final Words
Blockchain technology applies to numerous industries. Among these industries is the healthcare sector. It has proven useful in storing digitized patient data enabling quick access and retrieval period. Decentralized applications are now developed to enhance healthcare services.
