healthcare | Cryptobeyer

As a health promotion professional, I understand firsthand the challenges we face when it comes to managing and sharing patient data. That’s why I’m excited to share how blockchain technology is revolutionizing the way health data is managed, secured, and shared between healthcare professionals and patients.

Data Security and Privacy

One of our biggest concerns is the security and privacy of patient data. We handle incredibly sensitive information that must be protected from cyber-attacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access. Blockchain technology offers a secure, tamper-proof platform for storing and sharing patient data. Each block in the chain is encrypted and verified, ensuring that the data cannot be altered or manipulated. This provides us with the peace of mind that comes with knowing our patients’ data is protected.

Interoperability and Data Exchange

Another challenge we face is the lack of interoperability and data exchange between different healthcare providers and systems. This leads to inefficiencies, errors, and delays in patient care. However, blockchain technology can facilitate the exchange of health data between different providers and systems, regardless of their location or platform. This can improve care coordination, reduce duplication, and enhance the quality of care for our patients.

Patient Empowerment and Engagement

Blockchain technology can also empower patients to take control of their health data and engage more actively in their care. Patients can use blockchain-based platforms to securely store and manage their health data, track their health outcomes, and share their data with us. This can improve patient satisfaction, enhance patient-provider communication, and promote patient-centered care.

It’s not a fantasy…it’s happening!

I work with health promotion in the healthcare setting and see the fast-growing trend of self-generated personal data from health apps and wearable sensors, among others. It is clear that this type of data can be used to develop both preventive measures and treatments. Sure, it’s still early and I have to explain what a blockchain is when I talk about it in my professional position. But the tech is here.

Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden is exploring how blockchain can be used for more secure management and sharing of personal health data within highly specialized care.

We are not only living in a generational opportunity for economic transformation and growth but blockchain is also reshaping healthcare.

We are living in the fourth industrial revolution. It started with the steam engine and developed into the age of science and mass production. Then we experienced the rise of digital technology. The internet of things has developed into a revolution that is powered by information communication and technology and artificial intelligence as well as blockchains. Each new wave of technological change solves different problems and benefit the world in different ways. As a health professional I am interested in looking at what problems can be solved by blockchain in health care.

Blockchain technology has the potential to solve problems linked to trust, verification and security and the health care sector is benefiting from this technological revolution. One problem within the health care sector is data breaches where patents personal and health records are stolen. The decentralized nature of and security of blockchains make it possible for patients, doctors, and health care providers to securely share the same information. Instead of using paper or multiple different digital services health care providers can use one secure system that is updated in real time. Smart contracts are smart! By using blockchain technology health care providers can solve issues with storing and maintaining immense amounts of patient data in accordance with laws and regulations. Patient activities can be up to date which assists doctors, scientists, lab technicians in doing faster diagnoses and radically improve the quality of treatment. The patient data puzzle can be solved. Furthermore, since all changes can be tracked on a blockchain the integrity issue can be solved.

Inefficient practices in hospitals are costly and the organization and logistics at a hospital can be improved and labor cost lowered as patient data is streamlined with the use of blockchain technology. The medical supply chain is also a major benefactor. The World Health Organization claims that the black market of medicine is worth $75 billion and falsified medication and illegal data is a major problem. It has been claimed that pharmaceutical companies lose $200 billion to counterfeit drugs annually. By using a ledger, data about drugs can be tracked and traced which lowers the risk of counterfeiting and theft and increases safety and decreases supply chain problems.

There are also benefits in research and drug discovery with using the distributed ledger technology as patients’ original health records and billions of genetic data can be stored on the blockchain. Genetic databases of the future are likely built on a blockchain. AI can use data to perform predicting modeling in care. The fourth technological revolution can also help public health professionals to manage national medical emergencies. Now days medical personnel can use wearables when diagnosing patients and accelerate care that involves multiple parties. Furthermore. Payments between health care parties can be accelerated with blockchain technology.

How long it will take for the public healthcare sector in adopting this new technology fully is a guessing game, but health care companies such as Ananeer, Akiri, BurstIQ, Factom, ProCredEx and Robomed are active in solving different problems. According to Delloite 2020*, several developed nations and senior industrialists are making blockchain systems a top priority for their organizations.Things move fast in a revolution.

However, the fourth industrial revolution will not fully shape the health care industry until we have further clarity on blockchain regulations and laws.

*Deloitte, Critical Blockchain Statistics: 2021 Data Analysis & Market Share — Financesonlinecom (2020)