Analysis of Blockchain in the Healthcare Sector: Application and Issues

Abstract

The emergence of blockchain technology makes it possible to address disparate distributed system security concerns in formerly ridiculous practices. A key factor of this ability is the decentralization of the symmetrically distributed ledgers of blockchain. Such decentralization has replaced several security functionalities of centralized authority with the use of cryptographic systems. That is, public or asymmetric cryptography is the key part of what makes blockchain technology possible. Recently, the blockchain experience introduces the chance for the healthcare field to implement these knowhows in their electronic records. This adoption supports retaining and sharing the symmetrical patient records with the appropriate alliance of hospitals and healthcare providers in a secure decentralized system, using asymmetric cryptography like hashing, digitally signed transactions, and public key infrastructure. These include specialized applications for drug tracking, applications for observing patients, or Electronic Health Records (EHR). Therefore, it is essential to notice that the principled awareness of the healthcare professionals is the leading point of the right perception ethics. In this work, we provide a thorough review of the issues and applications of utilizing blockchain in the healthcare and medical fields emphasizing the particular challenges and aspects. The study adopted a systematic review of secondary literature in answering the research question. Specifically, this paper aims to investigate how blockchain technology can be applied to improve the overall performance of the healthcare sector and to explore the various challenges and concerns of the application of blockchain in the healthcare system.

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A Secure and Interoperable Architecture for Blockchain/IPFS Assisted Electronic Health Record Access Control and Sharing

“…The application of blockchain technology in Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is a relatively new and rapidly evolving field, as evidenced by the significant number of publications dedicated to this topic. A recent analysis conducted by Google Scholar identified 2,750 new items published in 2021 and 2022 alone, indicating the growing interest in this area and the need to explore its potential [18]. Numerous studies and surveys have been conducted to present the current state of the art in BT-based EHR systems, shedding light on their benefits, limitations, and open challenges.…”

Revolutionary Dentistry through Blockchain Technology

“…There are also review articles specifically focused on one area of interaction, for instance, electronic healthcare record systems [23] or articles addressing the readiness assessment of blockchain applications in healthcare [24]. Use cases were grouped by healthcare issues as well as blockchain characteristics in [25,26], and a well-summarised map of healthcare problems and blockchain opportunities can be found in [27]. A list of start-up companies offering blockchain healthcare solutions can be found in [28].…”

“…Blockchain technology made it possible to minimize dental session time, It is of note that this framework is not a product of reviewing the existing blockchain in dentistry literature due to the amount of research being very limited and not all possible areas of applications being identified. Following the guidelines of a conceptual study, which could bridge existing theories, link work across disciplines, provide multi-level insights and broaden the scope of our thinking, the following sessions and possible applications are summarised based on bridging the specific needs of dentistry to relevant blockchain properties, the current strands of the framework are grouped based on the existing literature of blockchain in healthcare [25][26][27], our coauthors' knowledge and day to day work experience as dental professionals, as well as our continuous research in big data, blockchain as well as other relevant technological advancements and their interactions with other sectors.…”