Blockchain-Based Healthcare: Three Successful Proof-of-Concept Pilots Worth Considering

Abstract

This paper features the use of blockchain technology in the healthcare industry, with special focus on healthcare data exchange and interoperability; drug supply chain integrity and remote auditing; and clinical trials and population health research. This study uses the research method of analyzing the published case studies, academic articles, trade articles, and videos on MEDRec, Patientory, and the AmerisourceBergen/Merck alliance with SAP/CryptoWerk. The “blockchain” concept was introduced around October 2008 when a proposal for the virtual currency, bitcoin, was offered. Blockchain is a much broader concept than bitcoin and has the following key attributes: distributed database; peer-to-peer transmission; transparency with pseudonymity; irreversibility of records; and use of computational logic. The following three healthcare use cases have been taken up for proof-of-concept pilots by MEDRec, Patientory, and the AmerisourceBergen/Merck collaboration with SAP/CryptoWerk. While blockchain technology has a promising potential for specific use cases in the healthcare industry, there are major challenges to deal with as well.