Since Blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger, it tackles the problem of the protection of patient data. The purpose of the chain is to store a series of transactions in a way that cannot be altered or changed.
The healthtech sector is very vibrant at the moment and by embracing blockchain healthcare organisations can give confidence to their patients their data is safe and secure, thus allowing for more effective engagement and data collection that can aid patient experience.
Blockchain technology enables distributed public ledgers that hold immutable data in a secure and encrypted way and ensure that transactions can never be altered.
Blockchain is now a mature technology, that has quietened the skeptics by creating layers of trust because it represents a shared record of the truth. Blockchain technology is a structure that stores transactional records which are known as the block, in several databases that are known as the “chain,” in a network connected through peer-to-peer nodes. Typically this storage is referred to as a ‘digital ledger’.
Healthcare has been keen to embrace blockchain, given the challenge of ensuring the confidentiality of patient records has been an ongoing pain.
Here are some of the ways Blockchain is revolutionising healthcare:
1. Security of Medical Records - Plagued by insufficient security and hacking of medical records have exposed health professionals to litigation for breach of patient confidentiality.
2. Patient Confidentiality - Therapies through digital technologies and connected care are transforming the entire sector. The adoption of Blockchain technology in healthcare will ensure patient confidentiality. The patient is in control of who accesses their records and the point of breach of patient health information can be easily traced. Further, unauthorized third-party access to sensitive information can be eliminated.
3. Reducing Errors - Annually, there are a large number of patients globally that die due to medical errors. Again, blockchain technology can play an important role in reducing these meaningless deaths as in blockchain, data can only be added, not erased. Thereby ensuring that over the years the patient’s health information is comprehensive and stored appropriately enabling patients to manage their health care needs appropriately. Healthcare professionals will also have access to comprehensive historical data, minimizing the chances of error.
4. The COVID pandemic - Blockchain technology has an important part in the fight against Covid 19, using this technology it is easy to track, store and disburse sensitive information in real-time to health centers for effective and uniform management of pandemics.
5. Digitised Service Provision - The Covid 19 pandemic has exposed the healthcare industry to enter a new era of digitalisation. Technological advancement has created the ability to track almost every aspect of an individual’s personal health in near real-time, creating a continuous and increasingly detailed picture of the body’s functions. This is just the start of the era where personal data becomes the basis of treatment and preventive care.
Since Blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger, it tackles the problem of the protection of patient data. The purpose of the chain is to store a series of transactions in a way that cannot be altered or changed.
The healthtech sector is very vibrant at the moment and by embracing blockchain healthcare organisations can give confidence to their patients their data is safe and secure, thus allowing for more effective engagement and data collection that can aid patient experience.
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