Blockchain Revolutionizing in Emergency Medicine: A Scoping Review of Patient Journey through the ED

Abstract

Background: Blockchain technology has revolutionized the healthcare sector, including emergency medicine, by integrating AI, machine learning, and big data, thereby transforming traditional healthcare practices. The increasing utilization and accumulation of personal health data also raises concerns about security and privacy, particularly within emergency medical settings. Method: Our review focused on articles published in databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, and Medline, discussing the revolutionary impact of blockchain technology within the context of the patient journey through the ED. Results: A total of 33 publications met our inclusion criteria. The findings emphasize that blockchain technology primarily finds its applications in data sharing and documentation. The pre-hospital and post-discharge applications stand out as distinctive features compared to other disciplines. Among various platforms, Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric emerge as the most frequently utilized options, while Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Authority (PoA) stand out as the most commonly employed consensus algorithms in this emergency care domain. The ED journey map and two scenarios are presented, exemplifying the most distinctive applications of emergency medicine, and illustrating the potential of blockchain. Challenges such as interoperability, scalability, security, access control, and cost could potentially arise in emergency medical contexts, depending on the specific scenarios. Conclusion: Our study examines the ongoing research on blockchain technology, highlighting its current influence and potential future advancements in optimizing emergency medical services. This approach empowers frontline medical professionals to validate their practices and recognize the transformative potential of blockchain in emergency medical care, ultimately benefiting both patients and healthcare providers.

Identifying the Barriers to Acceptance of Blockchain-Based Patient-Centric Data Management Systems in Healthcare

“…In fact, blockchain-based systems could effectively revolutionise clinical trial management, by enabling the automation of aspects such as site pre-screening, protocol approvals (such as patient consent, etc. ), participant enrolment and monitoring, data collection and compliance, and analysis and reporting [29].…”

“…We deploy a qualitative methodology that collects data from a range of stakeholders-administrators, clinical staff, and patients-and analyse these data to identify key issues. While it is true that there is a considerable number of papers on blockchain, most focus narrowly on potential benefits [25,29,53,54]. There are few studies that deploy a qualitative methodology to explore the concerns of the full base of stakeholders.…”