Introduction to Blockchain for Healthcare
Blockchain for healthcare provides secure patient data exchange and enhances the health sector’s privacy system. Generally, Blockchain is known as a Distributed Ledger system with an effective technology, which holds strong medical records and provides transactions in the healthcare system. The Blockchain consists of blocks of shared information and records of ledgers (Haleem, Javaid, Singh, Suman, & Rab, 2021). It participates in the distribution of records across systems and enhances the trustworthy collaboration. Healthcare systems particularly use blockchain to verify patients’ medical history, prescriptions, and data. The use of a smart contract, which is known as a piece of code used in blockchain to make the transactions and secure records.
Challenges in the Traditional Healthcare System
Earlier, there were challenges in traditional healthcare systems regarding privacy and security. With a large amount of data, it was prone to issues such as privacy breaches, unauthorized access, and data theft. Patient’s data consists of data such as sensitive information, treatment plans, and medical history. With unauthorized access, the information is misused. Previously, the traditional healthcare system faced issues with privacy regarding the exchange of data in the hospitals (Shojaei, Vlahu-Gjorgievska, & Chow, 2024). Particularly, the security breach is also one of the common problems in the healthcare system. Consequently, the data is misused by fraudulent activities and is prone to cyber-attacks. With the lack of privacy, it led to the loss of trust.
Many healthcare organizations depend on outdated technology, which is dangerous and vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks damage the functioning of healthcare services and disrupt health record systems. The cyber-attacks lead to a delay in patients’ treatments. The healthcare organizations may also undergo financial loss due to the cyber-attacks and illegal functioning. It also led to both patients’ trust and loss of reputation. There were email scams with the attack of malware into the system. Usage of unsecured and poor wireless networks, which provides access to wireless networks, and it is prone to hackers. Also, not using strong passwords on the healthcare websites leads to unauthorized access to the network.
Role of Blockchain to enhance data security and patient privacy
Blockchain helps in safeguarding the data, which acts as an extra layer to the protection of patients’ data in healthcare records. Especially, the use of cryptographic algorithms in the blockchain helps in granting access to authorized. Each record is created with both hash and digital fingerprints to ensure a safe transaction. This provides only authorized access to the healthcare parties. It eliminates manipulation of medical records and clinical data. This facilitates safe storage and manages the transactions of healthcare data. The nature of blockchain ensures that the data of the patient is logged (Hagen, 2024). Moreover, with the help of the transparent nature of blockchain, it has secure verification of transactions and prevents fraudulent activities.
With the help of smart contracts, which are executable code and automate the processes. In the healthcare system, this automates the process, such as verification of identity, validations, and claim processing. In addition, it also reduces the risk of human error. With the help of the immutability nature, the data is not changeable by unauthorized persons. Moreover, make sure of the integrity of the data that is stored. The nature of blockchain, which is decentralization and consists of no single point of failure in the system. It ensures every secure transaction and reliable.
Blockchain for healthcare
Benefits of Blockchain in healthcare
One of the major advantages of blockchain in the healthcare system is enhanced security. Especially, it provides end-to-end encryption to have safe transactions. Also, this assists to eliminate privacy issues by giving permission to the authorized people and storing information in a secured network. It has permissible access towards transactions and maintaining the transparency (AbdelSalam, 2023). Moreover, it provides a safe transaction of drugs in the medical supply chain. Also, it enhances tamper-proof transactions with a distributed ledger in the transport system. Enhances the drug traceability and links a hash value to the drug information. Blockchain maintains the systems such as packaging, production, and distribution of drug supplies and enhances the security of the storage.
Generally, cryptocurrency payments are one of the essential things in healthcare. It sends and receives through bitcoins. It has accessible permissions to crypto payments. However, the chain of blocks contains each record of the patient’s data stored in the blockchain ledger, which enhances the security (Trygub-Kainz, 2024). Accordingly, it provides efficient claim processing, where it streamlines the process with a reduction of time. With the help of the enhanced features, it reduces and saves the cost. There is a high cost involved in legal liabilities and remedial actions. In addition, it maintains interoperability, in which it is accessible to each patient record and provides access to the respective patient to access the information.
Benefits of Blockchain in healthcare system
Real world applications of blockchain in healthcare
Example 1
For instance, the Medi Ledger company uses blockchain technology to have a secure transaction. It is mainly helpful in pharmaceutical supply chain management, where it has barcode scanning and enhances the drug security. It is in the medical supply chain with the addition of contracts and product verification systems. Eventually, this supported in eliminating the revenue leakage and storing the contracts data in the blockchain. Also, it has enhanced transactions with immutable record keeping and trust (Somerville, 2020). Moreover, it followed a secure digital IP exchange.
Example 2
For example, the Medi Bloc makes use of a blockchain-based personal health record system where there is an exchange of data flow of the patient’s information. The blockchain technology manages records of patients and maintains the exchange of data within the medical institutions (Lee, 2018). Certainly, the main aim is to provide patients with control over their health data and manage health records. This has secured proof of concept exchange of data between medical institutions and provides greater flexibility with enhanced security.
Example 3
Guardtime makes use of blockchain for enhancing the streamlining of clinical records. It maintains the integrity of data and develops the applications of blockchain technology. This utilizes tokens for both maintaining the data and verifying the data. Moreover, it is used in verifiable credentials and supply chain management of pharmaceuticals. Overall, this helps to enhance integrity and authenticity of data.
Conclusion
Blockchain remains a great solution for a decentralized and transparent network. Despite many challenges in the healthcare industry, it provides benefits for patient data and enhances security. In summary, the use of systems such as digital signatures, cryptographic algorithms, and smart contracts ensures the patient’s data is secured without any data manipulation. Blockchain is enabled to track medical histories seamlessly to help the healthcare providers with a secure manner. It tracks all the data and manages the enhancement of the patient’s experience. With the automation of smart contracts, this has reduced the effort of human errors. Furthermore, with the help of blockchain, this makes use of validations and enhances the activities without human intervention. It transforms its nature to advanced systems with the usage of artificial intelligence into the blockchain and improve the overall experience in the healthcare system further.
References
AbdelSalam, F. M. (2023). Blockchain Revolutionizing Healthcare Industry: A Systematic Review of Blockchain Technology Benefits and Threats. Perspect Health Inf Manag, 20(3), 1-19. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10701638/
Hagen, J. (2024, Feb 23). Contributed: Blockchain in healthcare and enhancing security and transparency. Retrieved from Mobihealthnews: https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/contributed-blockchain-healthcare-and-enhancing-security-and-transparency
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., Suman, R., & Rab, S. (2021). Blockchain technology applications in healthcare: An overview. International Journal of Intelligent Networks, 2, 130-139. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266660302100021X
Lee, E. (2018, Nov 12). MediBloc, a blockchain-based PHR(personal health records) platform. Retrieved from Biospectator: https://www.biospectator.com/news/view/6509
Shojaei, P., Vlahu-Gjorgievska, E., & Chow, Y.-W. (2024). Security and Privacy of Technologies in Health Information Systems: A Systematic Literature Review. MDPI, 13(2), 41. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/13/2/41
Somerville, S. (2020, Aug 27). MediLedger Network: How Blockchain-Enabled Solutions Will Change How Companies Do Business, Togethe. Retrieved from Mediledger: https://www.chronicled.com/content-resources/mediledger-network-how-blockchain-enabled-solutions-will-change-how-companies-do-business-together
Trygub-Kainz, I. (2024, May 14). Benefits of blockchain technology in healthcare sector. Retrieved from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/benefits-blockchain-technology-healthcare-sector-iryna-dspzf
Keywords
Blockchain for healthcare, Patient privacy, Security breach, Cryptocurrency payments, Smart contracts
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