How Blockchain Technology will Change the eHealth Industry

Opinion Article by Michael Krusche, founder and CEO of K&C.
Let's imagine a world where all medical information about a patient is securely kept within a single system, and they can share it with any healthcare professional, without red tape. Until now, such a dream has been impossible. With the help of blockchain, however, all of that will change.

Blockchain was first implemented in the cryptocurrency world as the technology that allowed Bitcoin to operate. Its principles are now applied in many fields and for different purposes.

Current Attitudes Towards Blockchain in the Medical Realm

Healthcare is where the blockchain revolution is just starting to ignite. According to the report IT Innovation Efforts at Hospitals and Health Systems, a whopping 48% of respondents regarded blockchain technology’s potential to be grossly overestimated. They expressed their scepticism in either complete disregard for IT novelties, such as blockchain technology, or choosing risk-averse areas to innovate. In contrast to this negativity, there is a growing group of e-health enthusiasts. When the 200 top healthcare executives were surveyed in 2017, as many as 16% expected to have a commercial blockchain solution already, and 56% expected one by 2020. They plan to partner up with IT vendors, support e-health startups, and bring IT expertise to internal processes.

Yet, figuring out who’s right and whether a blockchain is really a silver bullet is a little more complicated. It has become increasingly difficult to differentiate hype around blockchain from the facts.

Areas Blockchain can Improve

Blockchains are distributed systems that log transaction records on linked blocks and store them on an encrypted digital ledger. In such an industry, blockchain can dramatically improve healthcare by providing a cost-efficient and secure way to manage patient data. When applied to healthcare, the technology can improve the following areas:
  • Supply chain management. In terms of pharmaceutical supply, where counterfeit drugs exist, blockchain can provide a proper ledger to ensure patient safety and logging of pharmaceutical purchases.
  • Billing management. According to healthcare analysts from Frost & SullivanHealth Practice, 5-10% of all medical bills are fabricated. Distributed ledger technology would eliminate the fabrication of medical bills and provide a more sturdy record for medical history.
  • Medical research. The majority of clinical trial records are not properly documented. The blockchain system can improve the situation, providing detailed reporting and transparency of results.
  • Data security. With the help of smart contracts based on blockchain systems, all personal information regarding treatment can be securely saved and handled, eliminating data breaches.

Right Approach Guarantees Success

Uncertainty around the technology has caused concern that poorly developed blockchain technology adopted by healthcare providers can lead to a catastrophe, such as system failure due to becoming a subject to security exploits.

However, as they say, it is a poor craftsman who blames his tools. With the correct approach, it will not take long before blockchain is optimized for the healthcare industry. Here’s what needs to be done to optimize the process for those interested:

  • Setquestions to IT professionals
  • Introduce a blockchain only when it’s completely tested
  • Compare such a new technology to the previous solution

The healthcare industry will benefit hugely from such groundbreaking, advanced technology to help improve its ability to provide the patient care. And it is only a question of time when using blockchain will become mainstream.

About Michael Krusche

Michael Krusche is a founder and CEO of K&C. With more than 20 years of experience in the IT field, Michael has both a passion and reputation for helping grow businesses through digital transformation. One of these areas he is passionate about is the healthcare sector. Michael has created leading IT solutions for healthcare businesses and K&C team is ready to do the same for you today.

https://kruschecompany.com

Most Popular Now

Personalized Breast Cancer Prevention No…

A new telemedicine service for personalised breast cancer prevention has launched at preventcancer.co.uk. It allows women aged 30 to 75 across the UK to understand their risk of developing breast...

New App may Help Caregivers of People Ge…

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham showed that a new app they created can help improve the quality of life for caregivers of patients undergoing bone marrow...

An App to Detect Heart Attacks and Strok…

A potentially lifesaving new smartphone app can help people determine if they are suffering heart attacks or strokes and should seek medical attention, a clinical study suggests. The ECHAS app (Emergency...

Philips Foundation 2024 Annual Report: E…

Marking its tenth anniversary, Philips Foundation released its 2024 Annual Report, highlighting a year in which the Philips Foundation helped provide access to quality healthcare for 46.5 million people around...

New AI Transforms Radiology with Speed, …

A first-of-its-kind generative AI system, developed in-house at Northwestern Medicine, is revolutionizing radiology - boosting productivity, identifying life-threatening conditions in milliseconds and offering a breakthrough solution to the global radiologist...

Scientists Argue for More FDA Oversight …

An agile, transparent, and ethics-driven oversight system is needed for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to balance innovation with patient safety when it comes to artificial intelligence-driven medical...

New Research Finds Specific Learning Str…

If data used to train artificial intelligence models for medical applications, such as hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area, differs from the real-world data, it could lead to patient harm...

Giving Doctors an AI-Powered Head Start …

Detection of melanoma and a range of other skin diseases will be faster and more accurate with a new artificial intelligence (AI) powered tool that analyses multiple imaging types simultaneously...

Patients say "Yes..ish" to the…

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be integrated in healthcare, a new multinational study involving Aarhus University sheds light on how dental patients really feel about its growing role in...

AI Agents for Oncology

Clinical decision-making in oncology is challenging and requires the analysis of various data types - from medical imaging and genetic information to patient records and treatment guidelines. To effectively support...

'AI Scientist' Suggests Combin…

An 'AI scientist', working in collaboration with human scientists, has found that combinations of cheap and safe drugs - used to treat conditions such as high cholesterol and alcohol dependence...

Brains vs. Bytes: Study Compares Diagnos…

A University of Maine study compared how well artificial intelligence (AI) models and human clinicians handled complex or sensitive medical cases. The study published in the Journal of Health Organization...