[ad_1]
Despite the hype, blockchain still has very few cases of mainstream use. It is becoming increasingly easy for critics to reject technology no more than a simple advertising line. However, it is important to remember that the fundamental technology on which the blockchain is based is still as revolutionary as the day it came out.
There are immense benefits to get from a technology that can enable trust on digital platforms, particularly in a healthcare sector. However, the biggest obstacle it faces is whether it will ever be reliable enough and mainstream to be adopted by such a cautious sector.
Further exploring this idea with us, Manoj Vig, responsible for the clinical data repository and clinical data at IQVIA and speaker at the DATAx New York festival in December, is the final edition of our two-part discussion series.
DATAx: Do you have any predictions on how the blockchain could interrupt your sector in the next few years?
Manoj Vig: Blockchain is certainly the landmark of the city at this time and it is interesting to keep track of how the blockchain has evolved in recent years. But, from a health point of view, I think we still have miles to go compared to the use of blockchain technology.
It is full of promise and if used in the right way, along with other currently available technologies, it could seriously transform health care.
In particular, I think blockchain will contribute significantly to fostering and facilitating healthcare research. I imagine systems designed based on blockchain technology in which copious amounts of patient data, clinical trial data (both successful and failed) and health data, will be transmitted from various wearable devices and devices and will be all stored under the ownership of individuals, organizations and doctors.
All of this data can therefore be safely shared with various physicians, researchers and research organizations in a secure and regulated manner, under which it is still controlled by its original owner. This simple collaborative task will open new avenues for medical research; will allow more researchers to collaborate and share markers and search results much faster than ever before.
I also imagine that such an archive of patient data would become a vital mechanism to help increase the speed of digitization of medical records, which can open up some powerful applications. These include faster, smarter clinical trials, patient identification, a more effective identification of disease biomarkers and faster sharing of medical records. This will allow all key players in the healthcare sector, such as pharmaceutical companies, doctors, investigators and, above all, healthcare consumers – patients – to collaborate in a coherent and integrated way.
And this can change the game for everyone in fantastic ways. Technology is here for us to use – we are always limited by our imagination.
DATAx: What are some interesting ways you have used the collected data to improve the lives of patients?
MV: As a company focused on clinical trials, we can not use data from an individual patient for secondary purposes. The regulations do not allow us to do it and for good reason.
That said, we are always looking for ways to make clinical trials faster, cheaper and safer for our patients using aggregate and anonymous data. These aggregated data, combined with historical trends and publicly available information, can reveal invaluable information that enables us to proactively monitor and execute trials and trial participants, identify test sites faster and more timely, and intercept potential events. Adverse action in a timely manner can be taken.
These steps collectively help to make the tests more convenient and safer. It can reduce the duration of a trial and accelerate the time-to-market curve for individual drugs.
DATAx: And finally, what will you talk about this week at DATAx New York?
MV: I will take part in a round table focused on addressing the challenges of the skills gap and how to make organizations more data and aware of cyber-knowledge. I will also participate in a chat on the fireplace and will discuss the various opportunities that exist today for organizations to promote partnerships and collaboration by sharing information.
Manoj Vig will be part of the second-day panel of the AI & Big Data for Pharma summit, part of DATAx New York, to be held from 12 to 13 December at Hilton Midtown. To participate and hear more insights from other data experts from some of the largest and most influential organizations, register here today before it's too late.
