Blockchain: A Healthcare Perspective

Abstract

Blockchain can be considered chain connecting blocks with a hash, grouped. Each contains its independent data and reference of the previous linked data. It creates a network controlled by the participants as to what they want to store and with whom they want to share. Blockchain technology can restructure the healthcare sector and upgrade the current situation, as it is secure, transparent, and reliable and stores real-time data. It can benefit healthcare by transforming the documentation of health records to electronic health records and remote patient monitoring sharing of these records to the concerned authorities (like government, hospitals, pharmaceutical industry, medical clinics, and insurance companies) using smart contracts. Blockchain provides an environment to keep medical data safe secure. It can keep data incorruptible, decentralized, and transparent log, allowing Blockchain’s extensive use for security applications. In this paper, the authors had discussed the working and features of Blockchain, implementation of Blockchain in healthcare, various Blockchain enabled healthcare system, blockchain model and EHR management, and various challenges in Blockchain.