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Explore 10 innovative use cases of blockchain technology in healthcare that pave the way for the industry's future.
Deb Mukhuty
Blockchain technology transforms healthcare by improving efficiency, accessibility, and transparency. Here are 10 innovative use cases of blockchain, from medical records to clinical trials and beyond.
In the modern world of healthcare, the security of sensitive medical information is of utmost importance. Studies suggest that 55% of healthcare applications will use blockchain by 2025. A blockchain platform has emerged as a promising solution to address this concern. By utilizing a modified cryptographic method, this platform enables access control, maintains surveillance, and ensures the integrity of medical information. With its secure sharing capabilities among various nodes, the blockchain platform is poised to revolutionize how sensitive medical data is handled.
According to data from Atlas VPN, in 2023, data breaches affected 87 million patients in the United States. This is more than twice the 2022 number of 37 million impacted patients.
This article explores various challenges and use cases of blockchain in the healthcare industry.
Besides several benefits, blockchain technology poses some key challenges, including ethical and legal issues.
Ethical considerations on blockchain technology are crucial to ensure patient privacy, data security, and overall fairness. For example, on data privacy and consent, we must consider the following aspects: obtain explicit and informed patient consent for data sharing and storage on the blockchain and ensure compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or other local laws.
Interoperability is a major obstacle to implementing blockchain in healthcare, as healthcare systems frequently make use of various outdated systems that are difficult to combine with blockchain technology.
The healthcare sector generates a vast amount of data, which can pose significant scalability challenges.
Moreover, privacy issues and regulatory compliance are another difficulty, as the openness of blockchain technology poses a challenge to healthcare privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in the United States, which ensures the security and privacy of protected health information in the healthcare industry.
Blockchain technology can help improve the healthcare industry by providing a secure and decentralized database, reducing administrative costs, and improving patient outcomes. With blockchain, patient data can be stored and shared securely, reducing the risk of data breaches and fraudulent claims. Furthermore, patients can control their health data and share it with healthcare providers, which can help improve diagnoses, reduce medical errors, and enable more personalized treatment plans.
Source - Blockchain healthcare today
Ensuring transparency in the supply chain is becoming increasingly important for businesses. For instance, MediLedger is a platform that uses blockchain technology to track and verify the authenticity of pharmaceutical products. This helps to improve customer confidence and build trust in the supply chain. Additionally, businesses that use supply chain transparency tools like FarmaTrust can ensure compliance with regulations and standards, which is especially important in pharmaceutical industries. By providing real-time visibility into the supply chain, businesses can optimize their operations, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.
Electronic health records (EHRs) face fragmentation, inaccuracies, and limited patient access. These problems lead to medical errors, inefficient care, and patient frustration. However, blockchain technology is emerging as a game-changer, providing a secure, transparent, and patient-centric solution through blockchain-enabled EMRs.
Recent studies have conclusively revealed that medical errors are responsible for a staggering 251,000 deaths each year in the US, making it the third leading cause of death in the country. WHO reports that the global number of deaths attributed to medical mistakes is an astounding 2.6 million annually. In response to this issue, Medicalchain is a leading company that collaborates with healthcare providers to implement blockchain-enabled Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) to address the problem. With benefits such as enhanced security, improved accessibility, and more transparent patient data, this technology has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry.
The Venice Beach, California-based software product company was established four years ago and aims to build tools to connect large and disconnected data sets on one platform, GemOS, powered by blockchain technology. They are exploring how blockchain can support patient-centric healthcare and personalized medicine in healthcare.
The healthcare sector is rapidly adopting smart contracts for insurance and supply chain settlements, thanks to blockchain-based systems provided by companies like Chronicled (5%) and Curisium (10%). These systems offer a secure, transparent framework for the various players in the industry, including pharmaceutical companies, medical device OEMs, wholesalers, insurers, and healthcare providers. By logging contract details and tracking transactions of goods and services, these systems enable stakeholders to authenticate their organizational identities and settle payments easily. This ensures transparency in the supply chain and allows for easy tracking of the origin and movement of goods and services.
ProCredEx has developed a medical credential verification system that uses the R3 Corda blockchain protocol. The system offers credentialization, monetization, transparency, and reassurance. Medical staff upload their credentials to the blockchain for verification and validation. The system also allows medical staff to earn money by sharing their credentials and organizations to verify the credentials of medical staff easily.
Blockchain strengthens patient-doctor interactions and protects sensitive data by enabling encrypted, secure communication channels. Patients’ faith in remote healthcare services is fostered by its immutable nature, which ensures data integrity.
For an instance
Intel & Flex enables healthcare innovation at the edge by monitoring patients' homes.
Chronicled, the San Francisco-based tech company, applies blockchain technology and IoT systems to supply chains to help improve traceability and accountability. It is crucial in pharma, precious metals, or other high-value commodities.
Diabetacare provides a 24/7 monitoring solution for diabetic patients in India, including mobile apps and devices.
TELUS Home Health Monitoring (HMM) is a remote patient monitoring solution that allows patients with severe chronic conditions to monitor their key health factors from home and share this data with clinicians.
Starting with some statistics, the National Crime Prevention Council has stated that about 10% of the drugs in the global supply chain are counterfeit. That’s a disturbing trend, especially if those who need those drugs aren’t getting the treatment to cure their potentially life-threatening ailments. According to some estimations, this counterfeit drug market is worth up to $200 billion annually. Blockpharma, the French startup, uses blockchain-based technologies to help fight drug counterfeiting, a worldwide challenge. As Blockpharma mentions on its website, every year, around 800,000 people die due to the consequences of taking counterfeit drugs.
The use of blockchain improves the drug traceability. It also allows the participants in the supply chain to interact easily and alerts the labs if fake drugs are detected.
Blockchain technology can enhance clinical trials by providing a secure and transparent platform for managing and sharing data. Using blockchain, researchers can create a tamper-proof and decentralized system that ensures the integrity of clinical trial data at every step.
A framework for blockchain in healthcare efforts. R&D: research and development.
Source - blockchain healthcare today
For an Instance
Google DeepMind/Google Health has developed a technology that can predict Acute Kidney Injury at an early stage. This is a life-threatening condition that can be regulated if detected early.
CareAI has created a platform allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients during and after treatment. This platform enhances the quality of care provided to patients and improves operational efficiency.
AWS Outposts is a technology stack developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that can be used on-premises in hospitals and research sites. AWS aims to bring the power of its core cloud technology to healthcare providers while mitigating some of their data privacy concerns.
Genomics is the study of complete sets of genes in organisms and incorporates elements of genetics. The genomics industry in healthcare has developed drastically, intending to improve human health’s future. It needs to safely store massive amounts of genetic data points, where blockchain can greatly assist. Blockchain application is a great solution to enhance the understanding of genomics and help scientists gather & store valuable information safely.
For an instance,
EncrypGen and Nebula Genomics use blockchain technology to enable the secure and efficient sharing and selling of genetic data. EncrypGen's Gene-Chain allows members to purchase genetic information via secure DNA tokens. At the same time, Nebula Genomics aims to remove intermediaries and costs by building a genetic database and incentivizing users to sell their encrypted genetic data.
Blockchain technology has been integrated into telehealth and telemedicine, offering more than conventional data management. In addition, the blockchain-based tokenization method encourages patients to participate in telehealth programs by providing incentives for contributing data or participating in research studies. This increased patient involvement can revolutionize how people use and engage with virtual healthcare services, promoting a more patient-centered approach to medical research and management. For instance, the Apple Health app allows patients to connect to equipment to measure vital signs and store the data on their iPhones.
Atlanta-based Patientory is developing a blockchain-based platform for securing health data for patients, providers, and medical institutions. Its advanced healthcare app lets users create a patient profile to keep track of their health history. The software provides patients with an easy way of tracking doctor visits, medical bills, personal medical information, insurance, immunizations, and pharmacy medications.
Guardtime is an Estonian company with over 150 experienced cryptographers, developers, and security architects. They use K.S.I. blockchain technology to offer data breach management, secure critical infrastructure, and safe operation of e-governments. They also work with financial markets, telecommunications, insurance, defense, and aerospace enterprises across the Netherlands, Estonia, the US, the UK, and Singapore.
Source - Guardtime
Blockchain technology can significantly improve the healthcare industry by addressing various challenges, as discussed in this article, and how it can enhance patient outcomes and ensure the security of sensitive medical information. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, blockchain technology is poised to revolutionize it further, and we can expect to see more advancements and innovations in the coming years.
What specific advancements in blockchain technology are you looking forward to? Let us know on Linkedin or X.
1. How does blockchain technology ensure the security and integrity of healthcare data?
Blockchain encrypts data in a decentralized ledger, providing tamper-proof records through cryptographic hashing and consensus mechanisms, ensuring data integrity and security.
2.What are the benefits of implementing blockchain in healthcare systems?
Blockchain enhances interoperability, streamlines data sharing among stakeholders, improve traceability of medical records, and strengthens cybersecurity measures, ultimately fostering transparency and efficiency in healthcare operations.
3. How does blockchain address patient privacy concerns in healthcare?
Using cryptographic techniques and decentralized storage, blockchain ensures patient data privacy, granting individuals control over their health information while enabling secure and auditable access for authorized parties.
4. What challenges does blockchain face in widespread adoption within the healthcare industry?
Challenges include regulatory compliance, scalability issues, interoperability concerns, and integration with existing systems. Overcoming these hurdles requires collaborative efforts from stakeholders and continuous advancements in technology and governance frameworks.
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