The impact of Blockchain in Healthcare Technology cannot be underestimated. The concept of distributed ledger led to the development of technology to track and manage clinical records, and this technology is now being applied in the health care industry. Healthcare IT has evolved from traditional record-keeping systems to data-driven care management systems. In line with this, the scope for innovation and improvement is constantly expanding. As a result of this, software applications that are built on top of strong applications and frameworks that are designed to monitor, secure and maintain the healthcare records are being developed and made available to enhance efficiency and productivity in the organization.
Blockchain in Healthcare Technology
The main advantage of using this technology is that it offers access to a patient’s records anytime and anywhere. This eliminates the need to go physically to the clinic or hospital, which also reduces the operation costs of the clinic or hospital. There is also no need to update the patient’s records at the clinic or hospital in case there is any new treatment available. This system also reduces chances of fraud and corruption and eliminates opportunities for patient care takers to tamper and steal information from the system.
The distributed ledger technology is also beneficial in improving quality of care. The doctors are able to see the real time image of the real patients in their rooms through a digital photo taken using a device with a video camera. The end result of using this technology is that the doctors are able to detect problems earlier. Also, they can transfer treatment information to other parts of the world.
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The distributed ledger technology offers solutions to several problems. It decreases the costs of running healthcare systems by reducing the number of transactions needed to process insurance claims and reducing the number of rejections due to unclear or non-readable data. The reduction in turnaround times for processes such as paper work and electronic patient records also reduces labor costs and improves customer service. The adoption of this technology is seen as a way of ensuring privacy and accountability.
The distributed ledger technology also provides a secure system for patient records and the sharing of those records among different health organizations. In addition to this, the technology makes it easier for administrators to track records and allow for electronic payments. Thus the role of Blockchain in healthcare is strengthening the foundation of the health care system by making it more reliable and secure.
However, there are risks that arise when the adoption of such technology spreads globally. Experts are worried about the effect of IT infrastructure being compromised because of the high levels of Internet traffic in the vicinity. The key to minimizing these risks is education. Experts believe that it is essential to train people who will be using the distributed ledger technology on how to maintain its security. They should also be taught how to handle and maintain the technology themselves.
According to an article posted at Forbes, distributed ledger technology “is fast becoming a crucial component of modern-day healthcare systems, whether they’re ones that manage patient records or entire networks.” However, the experts at Forbes emphasized that while this technology is important, it should not replace traditional systems instead work alongside them. Experts recommended that before adopting distributed ledger technology in the healthcare sector, there are certain protocols to be followed to make sure that it does not pose a threat to existing systems. These protocols can also help to minimize threats to the system.
Another way to look at the role of Blockchain in healthcare is to view it as something that could supplement rather than replace traditional data management systems. As was noted above, experts believe that adopting the technology should complement rather than replace existing technologies. They also believe that there is still need to train people how to use such technology in order to prevent breaches in data security. Moreover, to the experts’ knowledge, the adoption of such technology is still in its infancy so it would not be surprising if there are some problems associated with its proper adoption at a later date. This is why it is important for users to educate themselves on the potential benefits and risks of distributed ledger technology.