 Blockchain has a particular appeal to health data given its emphasis on sharing, distribution, and encryption. Newer blockchain efforts such as smart contracts, second-layer systems, permissioned blockchains, further the potential health care use-cases, and there has been no shortage of hype surrounding the potential of the technology within healthcare

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The 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, brought almost $30 billion in funds to incentivize Electronic Health Record (EHR). The shift towards patient-centered interoperability is an important trend that has the potential to lay new groundwork for data sharing in healthcare. Blockchain is one technology that could have a role in improving interoperability.

How Blockchain could thrive in healthcare

Gordon, William J., and Christian Catalini. “Blockchain Technology for Healthcare: Facilitating the Transition to Patient-Driven Interoperability.” Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, Elsevier, 30 June 2018, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S200103701830028X?via%3Dihub. 

Blockchain Technology for Healthcare: Facilitating the Transition to Patient-Driven Interoperability - Whitepaper


Why would blockchain be useful in healthcare? 

At a high level, blockchain technology can be thought of as a platform for digital exchange, where the platform functions without a traditional intermediary. Health data can live in multiple systems and sharing data requires numerous points of collaboration between entities. As interoperability becomes more patient-centric, there is an opportunity to leverage blockchain technology to facilitate this exchange and give patients greater control over their data.

Blockchain's Role in Patient-Driven Interoperability

Institution-driven interoperability, which has historically been the main focus of interoperability efforts, relies on different healthcare entities exchanging data based on business or regulatory incentives. There has been an increasing move towards patient-driven interoperability, in which an individual patient's electronic health data is made available to them through standard mechanisms like APIs.

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