Healthc Inform Res.  2019 Jan;25(1):51-56. 10.4258/hir.2019.25.1.51.

Blockchain Applications for Healthcare Data Management

• Dimitrov D

• KMID: 2434537
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2019.25.1.51

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This pilot study aimed to provide an overview of the potential for blockchain technology in the healthcare system. The review covers technological topics from storing medical records in blockchains through patient personal data ownership and mobile apps for patient outreach.
METHODS
We performed a preliminary survey to fill the gap that exists between purely technically focused manuscripts about blockchains, on the one hand, and the literature that is mostly concerned with marketing discussions about their expected economic impact on the other hand.
RESULTS
The findings show that new digital platforms based on blockchains are emerging to enabling fast, simple, and seamless interaction between data providers, including patients themselves.
CONCLUSIONS
We provide a conceptual understanding of the technical foundations of the potential for blockchain technology in healthcare, which is necessary to understand specific blockchain applications, evaluate business cases such as blockchain startups, or follow the discussion about its expected economic impacts.

Keyword

Health Information Interoperability; Information Storage and Retrieval; Genomics; Artificial Intelligence; mHealth

MeSH Terms

Artificial Intelligence
Commerce
Delivery of Health Care*
Foundations
Genomics
Hand
Humans
Information Storage and Retrieval
Marketing
Medical Records
Mobile Applications
Ownership
Pilot Projects
Telemedicine

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 US pilot project ‘Blockchain for Hospitals’.

• 

  Figure 2 Personal health record data for blockchain service providers or data brokers.

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