Blockchain Technology in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Review and Directions for Future Research

• Published in: Applied sciences Vol. 9; no. 9; p. 1736
• Main Authors: Khezr, Seyednima, Moniruzzaman, Md, Yassine, Abdulsalam, Benlamri, Rachid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-05-2019
• Subjects: Biomedical research; Blockchain; blockchain technology; Data integrity; Data management; Data retrieval; Data storage; Electronic health records; Electronic medical records; Government regulations; Health care; healthcare; International conferences; internet of medical things; Internet of Things; Interoperability; Medical records; Patients; Privacy; R&D; Research & development; Smart cities; Software; Standardization; Supply chain management; Canada; United States > US
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app9091736

One of the most important discoveries and creative developments that is playing a vital role in the professional world today is blockchain technology. Blockchain technology moves in the direction of persistent revolution and change. It is a chain of blocks that covers information and maintains trust between individuals no matter how far they are. In the last couple of years, the upsurge in blockchain technology has obliged scholars and specialists to scrutinize new ways to apply blockchain technology with a wide range of domains. The dramatic increase in blockchain technology has provided many new application opportunities, including healthcare applications. This survey provides a comprehensive review of emerging blockchain-based healthcare technologies and related applications. In this inquiry, we call attention to the open research matters in this fast-growing field, explaining them in some details. We also show the potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing healthcare industry.