Blockchain's Transformative Potential in Healthcare

Blockchain Healthc Today. 2024 Aug 31:7. doi: 10.30953/bhty.v7.336. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Blockchain's transformative potential, its current applications, and the path forward for its integration into the healthcare ecosystem are all explored in the journal Blockchain in Healthcare Today. The healthcare industry is facing significant challenges and opportunities after COVID-19. As we navigate the complexities of increasing healthcare costs and technological updates for better patient outcomes, innovative technologies are emerging as pivotal tools for healthcare transformation. Healthcare digital platforms have witnessed revolutionizing the dynamics of healthcare systems using disruptive technologies. However, while these technologies have garnered extensive attention for their transformative potential, there remains a critical gap in our understanding of the impact of digital technology on the healthcare industry. Population health management has critical challenges in data protection, sharing, and interoperability, where personalized medicines and wearable devices are highlighted as a concern. Patients and medical personnel need a safe and simple way to record, transmit, or access information through networks without concern for their safety. Using blockchain technology can help address these problems. Blockchain technology enhances medical data security by providing a decentralized, immutable ledger that ensures data integrity, transparency, and privacy. It enables fine-grained access control, improves interoperability, and resists cyber-attacks. Streamlining regulatory compliance allows patients and medical personnel to safely record, transmit, and access sensitive information across networks.

Keywords: blockchain for electronic health records; blockchain implementation; blockchain performance blockchain technology; electronic health records; healthcare data exchange; smart contracts.

Publication types

  • Editorial

Grants and funding

Funding There is no funding attached to this article.