There are many companies around the world that are working to develop and implement blockchain technology in various industries. One of the most promising ones is that of healthcare.
Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry, especially in regards to its core processes: data storage, data privacy, data transfer, identity management, and many others.
Developed in 2008, the blockchain is a chain in which each link stores and secures a block of information. Between each link, the network node dates and validates the block, according to a method that varies according to the type of blockchain. Once the operation is done, the information it contains is visible to the recipient of the transaction, but also to the rest of the network.
Often described as a decentralized ledger, because each user keeps and accesses the history of transactions, the blockchain is also considered inviolable. Indeed, the more it extends, the more the number of blocks that would have to be falsified with each actor in the chain would be high. The success of blockchain in healthcare is therefore based on the trust that users have in each other, the blockchain development company, and also in the architecture of the chain.
Patient Empowerment And Effective Exchanges
Another area where trust is essential is that of medical communications. Despite everything, the multitude of exchanges between patients, doctors, laboratory assistants and specialists can take time. Some documents can also be lost, poorly completed, and the patient may be relatively dispossessed of what is the basis of his medical file: his health data.
The Blockchain Therefore Promises Several Avenues
Greater security: hospitals and laboratories already store a great deal of patient data. By securing each block, a blockchain can prevent any loss or tampering of these documents.
Better exchange efficiency: the decentralized side of the tool allows greater interoperability between actors (patient, doctor, laboratory, etc.), and lets them consult the file they need without depending on the speed at which an interlocutor will have sent him such a blood test or an x-ray.
As for the user, he is able to choose which data he makes public and to consult who modifies it and when.
The enthusiasm is such that the European Commission is funding a dedicated research group. Its mission is to promote the emergence of an anonymized sharing system for European patient data, secure thanks to the blockchain, and respect the principles promoted by the General Data Protection Regulation.
