Blockchain has the potential to completely
reinvent Health Care and the electronic systems they use, currently care
facilities struggle immensely with outdated and inefficient systems that
sometimes can actually cause more problems than they are there to solve.
Statistics show there is a drastically large number of patients that are
directly affected by poor systems failure resulting in serious consequences for
both the health care providers and patients alike. With healthcare
providers struggling to get the technology they need to help others to the best
of their ability, the glowing catalyst to highlight these current flaws were
the COVID 19 pandemic.
The issues health care providers were
experiencing, now became glaringly obvious and thankfully unavoidable as the
pandemic swept the world, our healthcare system technologically unable to bear
the load. Medical Recordkeeping and access to decent medical systems were
immediately injected with much needed technological advancement with
revolutionary blockchain technology, this technology will not only assist many
throughout the current crisis but improve the lives of patients and medical
professionals long after the pandemic has passed.
Blockchain's ability to change the way health
records are stored and shared will have a monumental effect on the coming
generations. With the change comes the safer exchange of information, medical
data, real-time access, and more secure and efficient accessibility with less
risk. vastly improving patients long-term health outcomes. Blockchains' unique
decentralized system provides immutable access to an unchangeable ledger of
records providing the security and stability the healthcare system needs when
dealing with private and confidential records.
There is a long list of flaws currently
keeping healthcare professionals from doing their job and any number of them
could be solved with the implementation of blockchain technology. Blockchain
provides ease of accessibility without compromising on privacy and more
efficient and interoperable infrastructure. The revolutionary blockchain system
has the ability to grant faster access to patient records eliminating time and
cost constraints currently plaguing the system when transferring records
between locations. With patient records more easily accessible repeat imaging
would no longer be necessary which can be dangerous, financially costly and
also delay much-needed life-saving care for a patient.
The repercussions of those currently suffering
from outdated and inaccessible medical record-keeping can span through the
healthcare system to affect millions, empowering healthcare professionals with
decent advanced software would quite literally save lives. Care could be
shifted to place the patient in control of their own data letting them have
active access to their own records, taking it out of the government's hands and
placing it in the patients, encouraging everyday people to take better care of
themselves with blockchain technology.
The advanced technology allows for the
integration of other technological introductions to aid in patient care, links
with wearable sensors and or mobile applications can all be recording data
through the blockchain. Allowing doctors to better monitor patients and create
a more in-depth treatment plan based on the recorded data, improving quality of
life for those with long-term conditions and chronic illnesses. There is no
limit to the unimaginable heights blockchain could reach within the healthcare
system truly bringing a gold standard to medical record keeping.
Some healthcare corporations still have whole
call centers dedicated to faxing patient records because there is no secure
method to transfer patient files. This needs to change. Blockchain will be part
of our medical future.