It is not a secret for anyone that many consider blockchain technology as a disruptive force in finance because of its ability to provide a secure, transparent and verifiable recording of financial transactions without needing central authority, as a bank or a credit organization.
But what is less known is that these same qualities could make technology the perfect solution to challenges related to personal confidentiality, data security and integrity in health care, according to Yan Zhuang, Deputy Professor of Health IT at the Luddy School of Informatics of the University of Indiana, IT and engineering in Indianapolis. Zhuang is studying non -financial applications of blockchain technology, including managing personal health data and recruitment and management of clinical trials.
“My research takes advantage of IT approaches to meet persistent challenges in data management and sharing, allowing real health care applications to improve data and accessibility of data,” said Zhuang, who joined the ‘IU in 2023 of the University of Peking in China. “The ultimate goal is to advance patient results and improve health care efficiency. Blockchain is a key goal because its unique capacities meet these needs directly. »»
Blockchain offers several ideal features for the management of health care data, he added.
The first feature is confidentiality: users can transport their data on a personal device without the need for a central authority or a data broker. The other key characteristics include immutability and auditability. Since each user of a blockchain transports random songs from the blockchain recording, the data cannot be falsified. Any modification on a device would not correspond to the same data elsewhere on other devices.
In addition, all transactions can be deemed legitimate and respect regulatory compliance before being constantly recorded through a blockchain process called “consensus”.
“If we provide these features in health care – whether to manage health data or the clinical trial process – it becomes incredibly useful,” said Zhuang. “Everyone on the blockchain does not need to know the identity of a patient or to see their data; They must only be assured that the data has been authorized by its owner and that it stems from the original source, such as a hospital, without falsification, with this permanently recorded authorization on the blockchain for the audit. »»
This creates a transparent and decentralized network that allows patients to transport, share and use their data as they wish, “said Zhuang.
In the field of clinical trials, which are necessary to ensure that new drugs or medical devices are safe and effective, Zhuang said that blockchain can revolutionize the recruitment of clinical trials. It can provide a decentralized transparent system that allows patients to engage with trials using their authorized data – improving screening processes and allowing a more efficient and patient recruitment model. Better practices are necessary in the field, because many patients do not know these trials or how to participate, he said.
Blockchain’s transparency can also help reduce fraud by offering a profitable alternative to the costly verification of on-site data while rationalizing recruitment thanks to a data flow verified and unharmed from original sources, he Added.
In the United States, Zhuang said, blockchain technology aligns well with the framework of exchange of confidence and the common agreement for the exchange of information on interoperable health at the national level later published by The US Ministry of Health and Social Services, as well as decentralized clinical trial guidelines published by food and medication administration.
In addition, during Zhuang’s time in China, a national initiative was launched to promote blockchain applications in health care. Several Chinese hospitals are driving medical billing platforms based on blockchain, and a recently reported study in Nature Scientific Reports describes the use of blockchain to safely manage health care data on patients with sexually transmitted diseases in This country, for example.
Zhuang’s laboratory includes a doctorate. Student, Zhen Hou, as well as four master’s students and a first cycle. The group focuses on the implementation of decentralized approaches, such as blockchain and decentralized AI, at all levels of the clinical trial process, such as recruitment and electronic data capture processes, as well as Technical solutions to the management of personal data related to security, scalability, interoperability and efficiency. He also identifies Indiana groups to control technology and seeking employees to advance this initiative.
“We focus on the development of computer solutions,” he said. “Technology is mature enough to move forward, but it’s always a trip. In order for hospitals and patients to benefit from it, we must make our solutions accessible, intuitive and ready to use. »»
