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.