Saad Ullah
Blockchain’s Medical Impact
The greatest impact blockchain has made since its inception is the financial sector. Its speed, ease of transfer, efficiency and always online characteristics make it the perfect tool. However, the technology will make its biggest impact in the health sector.
The same properties of speedy data transfer and receiving, always online and secure data storage make it the perfect candidate for use a medical record database for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Executive Vice President of Stefanini, Ailtom Nascimento, a major software house in Brazil, said in an interview “The current scenario involves a digital culture, verticalization of health services and adoption of technologies that effectively propose a cultural and digital transformation, which can aggregate and allow an efficient journey, with greater proximity between doctors and patients. It is important to know and follow the patient’s journey, even before he arrives at a care unit so that he can access information quickly and provide quality care based on concise information”
Heavy Investments
Medical research organizations and healthcare institutes are not new to cutting edge technologies. To combat diseases and help early diagnosis, they frequently invest in technologies that have sound applications. Philips Researchis such one company that heavily integrates technologies. Blockchain, according Mark Hennessy, one of the leading researchers at the organization, is being used to develop a “verifiable data system”. The system would keep the patient data private and make it instantly available to the right doctor when requested.
According to Thomas Maddox, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine, “modern technologies” can help doctors in identifying medical issues that “even a highly trained doctor would not see”. He is actively working in this regard and has his own firm, the Laboratory of Innovation of Health Systems.
Saad Ullah
