[ad_1]
Blockchains, the digital records of information that are almost impervious to the breach, are destined to revolutionize the way in which data are managed in the health sector. Not only will they eliminate third-party data managers, but they will simplify data sharing processes. To put it in perspective, blockchain spending on health is estimated at around $ 177 million in 2018 but it is expected to increase to more than $ 5.6 billion by 2025. Blockchains are evolving old systems, increasing efficiency while reducing costs throughout the healthcare industry.
The Blockchain
Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of an unknown person or a group that first developed Bitcoin, described the blockchain in his 2008 whitepaper, Bitcoin: a peer-to-peer electronic payment system. He outlined a problem with the digital currency: double spending. In essence, a purely digital currency not governed by a centralized bank could, in theory, be simply duplicated. The same "money" could be spent more than once, like trying to copy cash and using the same account several times.
For example, commission a piece of digital art. You have to give the word to the artist that they are not simply copying the work of art and selling it to others. The blockchain has solved this problem of ownership of digital resources.
Each transaction is registered publicly, stamped and impossible to change. The transactions are grouped into "blocks", hence the name blockchain. Each block is protected by highly advanced cryptography, which is an essentially very complex mathematics. These blocks are shared by computer networks that all have to agree on the history of the blockchain. If a single computer or user attempts to modify the blockchain, the other computers on the network will reject the change.
Telemedicine
One of the most important ways in which blockchain could change health care is the reduction of healthcare costs. What if an insurance broker is no longer needed? This is the idea behind "smart contracts"Contracts that explain exactly how the money will be spent, represented as tokens.They also offer or revoke the permissions for doctors to change patient data – something we will return to because everything is transparent and the rules are clear, c & # 39; is a high degree of trust on all sides: combining smart contracts, eliminating the need to go through insurance and telemedicine, how to use Skype to make an appointment with a doctor instead of physically going to the office, and new health care options open up.
The whole process may seem complicated, but at a high level, it's a relatively simple concept. Here is an example: MedCredits, the first medical blockchain, connects to an app, Hippocrates, which in turn connects dermatologists to their patients. The telemedicine process begins when a patient opens a case and sends the relevant information to the doctor, such as photos, via the app. After examining the information sent, the dermatologist returns a diagnosis and treatment options. When it comes time to pay, the patient can use the MEDX or ERC20 tokens, similar to paying with Bitcoin. Payment is guaranteed via the Ethereum blockchain, which supports smart contracts.
Thanks to the intelligent contract, invoices and bank balances are processed automatically and in complete transparency.
While MedCredits could be the first blockchain in the medical industry, CoinHealth it could be the first medical cryptocurrency. It allows users to earn coins with smart wearable devices, with the idea that it is necessary to reward a healthy lifestyle. CoinHealth intends not only to be a currency, but also to provide blockchain functions.
Decentralization of patient data
Sharing patient data between doctor's offices can be a complicated process, especially if a patient needs to see more specialists or is involved in more private practices. Using the blockchain, a decentralized system that is centered on the patient instead of on the data holder, creates a shared database of patient data. There are dozens of systems that manage electronic medical records (EHR), all centralized by company.
For example, the 4.5 million inhabitants of Boston have to deal with 26 different systems, all use different languages. A blockchain record would be just a system, with a language, which could easily be shared among a patient's healthcare workers. Smart contracts ensure that HIPAA's privacy laws are not violated.
Violate HIPAA comes with significant fines, but like the blockchains are essentially impenetrableviolations of health data could only be a concern of the past.
Companies like BurstIQ is Health links they are creating databases just for this purpose. Health links provide anonymous data to patients to physicians, while BurstIQ is using machine learning to process data.
Clinical tests
As mentioned, smart contracts manage permissions for doctors to change information in a patient's record. This only allows those doctors who are involved in patient care to have access, while other doctors can still see the records.
This has implications not only for patient care, but also for clinical trials. In 2017. Forbes estimated that up to 50 percent of clinical trials have not been reported and up to 90% of clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov had no results.
The blockchain, however, can memorize these results, with only some doctors who have permission to edit, but any interested physician can see the information of the trial. Create an easy way to share data between researchers. The information obtained from a test could be stored in the blockchain, eliminating the need to report elsewhere. Interested doctors can simply search for information in the blockchain.
Traceability of drugs
With transaction data marked by timestamp and which can only be changed by those who have explicit permission, tracking drugs will be much simpler, reducing counterfeiting. In short, as every transaction is recorded from the producer down, finding the location where the drugs have moved away from the proverbial track is fairly easy, and therefore someone can be held accountable.
Between 10 and 30 percent of drugs in developing countries are false and false drugs cost US $ 200 billion a year. Given the access to the transactions of a blockchain, the drug maker can track down where the drug goes. The manufacturer may not sell to any organization used improperly or sold drugs. This will help to eliminate counterfeit drugs, which may not have the same effects as the original drug and could be dangerous for users.
The blockchain is already on its way to revolutionize the health sector. While the main implications of its adoption are the way patient data are shared and the way patients pay for medical care, it goes as far as to reach drug transactions and to protect data against violations. The information on the clinical trial will be much easier to share, with the results given to the doctors where otherwise the results could be lost completely, canceling any usefulness of the process. Satoshi Nakamoto may have initially conceived what we now call blockchain as a way to verify transactions in digital currency, but the applications are perfect for use in healthcare.
[ad_2]Source link
