Blockchain in Healthcare Systems: An Industry Prospective Study

1. Introduction

Several shifts have taken place in healthcare during the last decade. Improved quality of care is provided by the healthcare service industry as a whole thanks to the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies in the areas of information technology, communication engineering, and bioelectronics. The ability of a nation to provide quality healthcare to its citizens is essential. Without a reliable system in place, many people cannot get quality healthcare at a reasonable price. The healthcare system in several affluent nations is financed and operated solely by the government. Nonetheless, in many nations on the rise and in others still struggling, both public and private hospitals provide care for their citizens. Effective care at any MSP (Medicare Secondary Payer) involves on physicians and other staff members working together across departments including clinical diagnostics, pharmacy, records, billing, etc. The medical user (MU) population often includes people with numerous chronic conditions. As a result, there has to be coordination inside the MSP (Medicare Secondary Payer) itself, between the various components. Likewise, a MU (Medical User) may have had medical care at one MSP (Medicare Secondary Payer) and be receiving care at a different MSP at the current time. Thus, collaboration across MSPs is crucial for the transfer of MU health information. It's possible that MSPs no longer have faith in one another. Hence, the usage of blockchain technology aids in resolving the problems that arise while exchanging information and reports across mutually non-trusted MSPs. An MSP may not have the MIC’s (Medical Insurance Claim) confidence when it comes to invoicing for a patient who is hospitalised and has medical insurance. Here is another great example of a situation in which blockchain technology is used to successfully fix a problem involving parties who cannot be trusted. With the advent of body area networks (BANs) and the Internet of Things (IoTs) in the field of automated healthcare service, e-healthcare has become a hotbed for interdisciplinary study thanks to the convergence of several cutting-edge technologies like the Cloud, IoTs, and blockchain. This chapter explores the use of blockchain technology in the healthcare industry. This chapter is structured as follows. The transition from “Healthcare 1.0” to “Healthcare 4.0” is discussed in the next section. The next step is an explanation of blockchain technology. Applications of blockchain technology in healthcare records management, medical insurance, health status monitoring, clinical research, automated contact tracking, and automated responses to medical emergencies have been covered in future chapters.