Blockchain for Healthcare: The Next Generation of Medical Records?

BBlockchain is a shared, immutable record of peer-to-peer transactions built from linked transaction blocks and stored in a digital ledger^ [1]. To put more simply, blockchain offers a record of peer-to-peer transactions kept out in the open so that everyone can see each of the transactions. No single central authority such as one server or computer exists to authorize or preside over the transactions, instead each peer on that network is be able to view the transactions that occurred on that plexus. Each transaction is timestamped and linked to the prior event, making it exceedingly resilient to malicious activities to alter the chain but not impossible. For example, one very unique but highly valuable opportunity is the use of blockchain for interstate medical licensure or hospital credentialing (see Fig. 1). The idea of this technology would be to Bmaintain a single record of their certifications and approvals, which will streamline interstate licensure, bolster trust, and allow organizations and individuals to authent icate the professional qualifications^ [2]. This would allow the physician (or other provider) to submit his identity with qualifications, such as his medical school and residency completion, among other information once to an authority on the block chain. In an ideal situation, each state board of medical examiners or other credentialing body would have access to this digital ledger, and with the permission of the candidate have access to these records that have already been collected in a digital format to review.