The healthcare sector is the most important sector of an economy. With the advancements in medical science, the sector is expanding at a very fast pace. This growth brings many challenges and complexities with it. These challenges include the management of large amounts of data, handling complex billing procedures, and much more.
To resolve these challenges, advanced technology is required to make the transactions automated and decentralized. Blockchain technology can perform this role very efficiently and give unbelievable results.
The integration of blockchain technology can completely transform the landscape of the healthcare sector. In this blog, we will find about the potential of blockchain in healthcare and how blockchain technology can prove to be a blessing for the growth of the healthcare sector and which challenges can be resolved using this technology.
Ways in Which Blockchain App Development Can Transform the Healthcare Sector
The healthcare sector is a complex sector with a number of parties involved in it, including patients, healthcare service providers, insurance companies, and healthcare equipment suppliers. There are a large number of interactions occurring between these parties on a daily basis.
The emergence of blockchain healthcare apps will make these interactions more smooth and more streamlined. These improvements will enhance the functioning of this sector.
Given below are a few ways in which the usage of blockchain-based healthcare app development will change the working of the healthcare sector.
Enhanced Data Security
The hospitals operating in the healthcare industry have a huge amount of data with them. This data contains the patient’s personal as well as medical information.This information is very confidential in nature and can be misused if gone into the wrong hands.
The blockchain-based healthcare apps are very efficient in maintaining data security. The patient data is stored in a decentralized network rather than a centralized network. This makes it almost impossible to manipulate or steal the data.
The advanced blockchain technology allows medical professionals to share data with each other by maintaining patients’ privacy.
Continuous Data Monitoring
Continuous data monitoring is something that is very much needed in the healthcare sector when it comes to electronic records of patients. Whether it is the patient’s blood pressure reading, doctor’s prescription, or any other data related to the patient’s health, it needs to be monitored and accessible every time. But in the traditional centralized healthcare infrastructure monitoring the data 24/7 was a very difficult task.
Blockchain technology can help in achieving this goal. In blockchain-based healthcare apps, the data is stored in distributed form. This makes the data available 24/7 and also enhances its management.
Improved Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are the major growth driver of the healthcare industry. It opens up new opportunities and makes the healthcare sector more advanced. But these trials are a lengthy and complicated process and involve a large number of stakeholders. This can cause a delay in results.
The major reason for this delay could be the lack of a platform where all the parties involved in the trials could check the progress. Blockchain technology can resolve these issues.
Through this technology, a decentralized platform could be designed where all the parties can check the progress level of clinical trials and conduct their research accordingly.
Claim Settlement and Billing Management
Claim settlement and billing management are the two most important functions performed in the healthcare sector. Without proper records of the patient’s diagnosis and treatment, the claim settlement was becoming a very difficult and time-consuming task.
The blockchain apps can eliminate these problems by recording the patient’s information in a shared ledger where it is accessible to both the patient as well as the claim settlement official. The official could check and verify each information and undertake claim settlement in a more fair and accurate manner. Any changes made to the information will be visible to everyone on the network.
Ensuring Drug Safety
Adverse drug reactions are a major concern in the healthcare industry. Many people face severe health problems and lose their lives. To prevent this, a streamlined quality check is required at every supply chain step.
In the centralized healthcare system, this becomes very difficult as the information related to the drugs is controlled by a single authority. This creates a risk of manipulation or concealment of the information.
In the case of blockchain-based healthcare applications, this becomes very easy. The information is available to all the people on the blockchain. Anyone can access it and check whether the drug manufactured meets the quality standards or not.
Easier Case Management
The medical professionals have to handle a large number of cases every day. Remembering each case could be impossible for them to remember. In the case of the traditional healthcare system, The previous medical history of the patient could not be extracted easily. This can cause delays in the treatment, and the patient’s medical condition could worsen.
The blockchain app contains all the information about the patient’s previous consultation and the treatment they have undergone. The medical professional could read it and give the treatment accordingly. Also, the patient’s journey from problem detection to the recovery stage can be tracked and monitored by the medical professional. To maintain the confidentiality of the patient’s information, smart contracts are being used.
Medical Staff Credential Verification
The medical professionals working in the healthcare industry play an important role in the upliftment of the industry. As a medical professional, you must recruit the right medical professionals with skills and knowledge in your hospital. Verifying the staff records and checking their authenticity can be a challenging task.
With the emergence of blockchain app development, this can become simple and streamlined. The app will offer a detailed record of staff work experience and other personal details such as family details, education qualification, and identity proof. This will reduce the recruitment time and help businesses in making the perfect choice.
Electronic Health Record Management
Maintaining electronic records can be a major challenge in healthcare. Earlier, these records were controlled by a single authority and stored in one place only. In case of any damage to the system, there is a risk of loss of data. Also, in case any manipulations made will not be visible to any other person, and tracking the culprit was not easy.
With the evolution of the blockchain app, record maintenance and management have become easier and safe. The decentralization of records has made it easy for everyone on the network to access and monitor the information. The patients can also view their medical information anytime and from anywhere.
VR Based Hospitals and Treatment Procedures
The emergence of VR technology has given rise to many new trends in every industry, whether it is gaming, entertainment, healthcare, or other industries. Talking about the healthcare industry, virtual reality can be used in creating virtual hospitals where patients can get consultations from doctors through online mode. This saves a lot of traveling time and proves to be cost-effective.
Therapy sessions for various mental issues, such as anxiety or depression, could be provided efficiently using VR technology.
All the transactions occurring in these virtual hospitals will be stored in a decentralized manner and encrypted using smart contracts.
Enhanced Device Monitoring
With the increase in the size of hospitals, it has become difficult for medical professionals to
To keep a track record of medical devices such as machinery, instruments, furniture, and other types of medical devices. Earlier, RFID technology was used to track the asset’s location. But this data can be easily manipulated by the user.
The use of decentralized apps designed by an expert dApp Development Company
for tracking the devices makes the data immutable. This means that the user cannot make any changes in the device location and access data. This keeps your hospital’s high-cost devices safe from unauthorized access.
Wrapping Up
Blockchain technology has created a buzz in the healthcare industry. It has completely transformed the industry’s outlook and made it more advanced and tech-savvy. Healthcare professionals and patients face many challenges. These challenges were mainly related to data security,record maintenance, healthcare staff recruitment, and data exchange issues.
The emergence of blockchain-based healthcare apps has helped in removing these challenges and made working in the healthcare sector more enhanced.
If your business is operating in the healthcare sector, you must get a blockchain-based app that can keep all your patient’s records safe and easily accessible.