Topic: How Can Blockchain Improve Healthcare? (Read 402 times)

Well, we can have one blockchain for a section per floor per hospital. 
And we're going to have CardioHeidelberg token, GastroPitieSalpetriere and so on

Storing it alone wouldn't be that big of a problem, the current system is doing just this at this point but the problem will be the so-called decentralization, how are you going to keep the nodes up, and most importantly who is going to pay for this. Current databases that are running in hospitals here (although not on that scale, as it would be impossible for a hospital around here to have millions of patients) are optimized for this, there are a few copies of the data in the health ministry storage but even with these tiny things there will be no real decentralization but rather giving custody to another entity.
Why do that? No reason!

Another problem I see in this concept is that as we know and use the blockchain everything is final, there is no chargeback there is no block deletion, what will happen in case of human error while handling the data? It's pretty sure they have a way of removing it, so, at this point, what's the point of an immutable blockchain?


In short, rely on a traditional database that can act like a blockchain as close as possible. And we already have tons.

I agree. The records or stored data can be easily be manageable by making use of Blockchain technology but that was just a small chunk of the problem for the main problem is the healthcare system itself. The system or the way the health care is being distributed and implemented must be the one to be focused and further to make improvements. Such corruption and biases existing on healthcare facilities that is part of the whole healthcare system is really difficult to be manage and that must be the one to be fixed. Well, there are parts of the healthcare that can be improved by the blockchain technology but still that is just a shallow part of the problem. It will be good to implement such blockchain partnered into healthcare but still it doesn't resolve the problem as a whole.

This is not about btc (Bitcoin)

Obviously, you refer to blockchain and make it sound like blockchain should be used everywhere in any industry. This is not so. There are areas where it can be useful as well as areas where it will be useless. The point is, in many cases we can't figure that out until we actually try things with it

And healthcare is no exception. It is an extremely complex space, and you can be dead certain that it is horribly ineffective. I think the pandemic has shown this state of affairs abundantly clear, blockchain or otherwise. But it's also done a good thing in that it revealed these inefficiencies which can now be improved if there is a will and intention

I think blockchain technology can improve healthcare, because blockchain technology is not only for the financial sector.
Some of the benefits that can be obtained if blockchain technology is applied to the health sector, among others, a good
tracking system to find out drug stocks, more transparent medical records and prevent accidental health care costs.
Therefore, several universities have included blockchain technology into the course, because blockchain technology is
beneficial for human life.

There is no such thing as a perfect technology that is 100% secured or can protect all of your sensitive data. So no guarantee using blockchain technology to save the medical record and for healthcare systems cannot be accessed by hackers without authorization because there are many great hackers nowadays.

When people will finally understand that we dont need btc for the every industry? Sometimes SQL is just enough

I've asked this a couple of times over the years in threads regarding EHRs and blockchain, and I've never been able to get a good answer:

EHRs are massive. Patients generate massive amount of data. Not just text entries from every doctor or other health professional they come in to contact with, but details about visits, insurance, prescriptions, test results, referrals, communications, etc. and crucially, scans - US, CT, MRI, PET, etc. Scans in particular take up massive amounts of data. The average patient will generate around 80 MB of data per year. Even a small hospital which serves a population of only 50,000 is going to generate on average 4 terabytes of data in a single year. Try scaling that up to a large hospital with several million patients and the numbers become ridiculous. How is that supposed to be stored on a blockchain?

The only potential solution I can see is to store it all on a centralized database as it currently is, and use blockchain to manage access policies to this centralized database. Sure, this is possible, but it is also completely pointless and holds no benefit over the current system.

Data on a blockchain is as secure as the blockchain itself is

In other words, if you don't share your private keys with anyone (read, someone doesn't steal them from you), the possibility of hacking your data is the same as hacking the entire blockchain. Possible as in not completely improbable, but can turn out prohibitively expensive. Moreover, blockchain-based EHRs will allow you to fine-tune the access policies, i.e. who can access what exactly. Put simply, your personal health information remains your private property at all times

I like the statement but the problem is the government mostly the health organization will doubt all of these because we all know that human records are one of the most important details that's why the records are only exclusive only to their company.

The objective is good to save the record through the blockchain but again there are a lot of people already skilled through makes data breaching we prevent that. I will seek more information and question about this statement because this is a good initiative too.

Okay, I will send the link to your post, and, hopefully, your questions and concerns will be addressed fully

Most important, it will be exceptionally interesting to see if there is some real-life use already. But to repeat, I'm in no way affiliated with this service, so I express entirely my own opinion here. However, even if a given project may be yet another attempt at just riding the speculative frenzy and raking in profits while it is hot and high, the concept itself intuitively feels promising to me, i.e. blockchain as a common ground or foundation for interaction of all market participants (and probably cutting down on their number in the process)

Data storage can be applicable in any aspect and healthcare is one of such. don't get surprised. Hospitals need even patients data to be accessible any time of the day. It is easily accessed through blockchain.

It has already got one since half of the article is outright shilling for it with the usual mumbo-jumbo that says a lot and nothing at the same time.


Well, I must say that you didn't study its structure too close and you declared it somewhat hasty of being solid since their entire project is based exactly on crypto currency and focusing a bit less on the actual health and healthcare issues.

So let me quote again the lightpaper


Sorry, but I can't see something such as a token that requires me to download an app and signed smart contrast with god knows what entities as a breakthrough in efficiency. Let's not mention the next part, on ..what was that..diminishing costs?


So, what can this blockchain do that a distributed database like the one I mentioned before for example can't?
Other than speculation on Bittrex.

I would call this...unhealthy!

heh, the really unusual point of view. I have never thought about it

Solve.Care will probably get a dedicated article (review)

So, for your reading pleasure, I will try to seek out the answers to these and other concerns if it ever comes to that (though I can't promise anything yet). To me, it looks a pretty solid project, and there can be legit reasons behind creation of a token. For example, a token as a health record (effectively, an NFT), i.e. not meant to be a cryptocurrency, sort of

It’s out responsibility to improve our healthcare. Our leaders have to sit down and think of ways that they are going to be able to improve. And when I say leaders, I don’t mean these old and retarded men we have as leaders. We need new and young leaders who will be ready to move the world forward, these old men don’t know what they are doing and they don’t even know about the Blockchain that you’re talking about here.

So, that’s why we deserve better leaders that will do the right thing. Although I am not saying that Blockchain will solve our problems, it will only make things easier, other things are the left to us.

Just how many of those things we've had till now?


No, they don't have only a simple blockchain in mind, this whole new mess comes with two tokens, or a coin and a token

Devs need money too  


And what would be the advantages of a blockchain, in this case, over ... let's say.... Cassandra?

I see blockchain as an improvement in resource sharing and information sharing between hospitals. Also, this can be a great ledger for their outdated systems which, even in recent times, exist. Heck, there are still a multitude of hospitals out there using Excel for recordkeeping in the era of database and automation! Imagine the advancements of recordkeeping, how much money and time hospital will save when they invest in a one-time upgrade that requires little to no maintenance.. but nah, let them use excel instead.

Blockchain technology will improve there is no solution growing entrepreneurs demand the need to revolutionize all aspects of their business as time and technology advance when it comes to healthcare, the urge to grow reaches a high level. Quality healthcare services are needed today with the help of latest technology the landscape of the healthcare system is moving towards a more patient-centric approach that focuses on affordable treatment at both times and always taking advantage of healthcare.

Ia this really necessary?. That is the big question to be answered like the healthcare system is not like the financial system where you say alot of third-party activities are involved and thus need addressing.

While talking about the blockchain in the healthcare system, you're referring to a private blockchain, right? I hope so because no way someone will accept to see all his medical life in public.

- In my country, we have something similar to the Patientory app and there are 2 problems that the system described in OP could get too::

1) Not every medical specialist is able to get access to the software needed, whatever to read or write. I don't know why exactly, I suppose because in a hospital for example there is a strict protocol from the IT dept. to what you're allowed to install in your OS. The same for the doctor's office, and no idea why.

2) The person concerned is hardly able to modify the information in. If you agree to let your doctor knows you have AIDS, you don't want an ophthalmologist to be aware. It's a random example but I could so many situations like that

Money saved here: I guess zero

- About the token mentioned in OP:

Why should it be the patient who has to pay to buy a token, to compensate for the failures of a state-run system? It should be up to the government to invest in such a structure or create it itself, I don't know.
The patient already pays for his health insurance, pays taxes for the health system and he has to add more because the state does not assume its responsibilities?

A blockchain needs to give an incentive to be worth, actually, a secure database is enough to do the same thing (ie. my country) without a token