The way we deliver and manage healthcare is rapidly changing. Gone are those days when patients have to keep their healthcare records safe with them for years and shuffle up the papers to dig into the medical history.
With everything is going digital, keeping patient data safe and making sure care stays personal and connected has become more important than ever. That’s where blockchain steps in.
While talking about blockchain, only cryptocurrencies come to your mind. But it’s proving to be so much more, especially in healthcare. It plays a major role in streamlining major healthcare concerns, ranging from data security, patient privacy to streamlining the process of sharing health records between care providers.
Whether it’s making sure medical records aren’t tampered with or giving patients more control over who sees their data, blockchain is creating a healthcare system that’s more secure, transparent, and patient-first.
Why the Healthcare Industry Needs Blockchain?
Did you know that the world’s total of 4% of data is composed of the healthcare industry?
The healthcare industry is full packed with data, whether it be a patient’s health record or an organization’s expenses. And, healthcare data breaches aren’t just costly, but they’re dangerous and can cause huge blunders.
When sensitive patient information falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to identity theft, insurance fraud, and even put lives at risk if medical histories are tampered with.
According to reports, the cost of data breaches in 2023 in healthcare experienced the highest average cost per breach, which was around $10.93 million per incident, and the numbers are consistent, that’s only climbing each year.
However, securing the data isn’t just related to the money in the healthcare sector. It’s about trust, something the healthcare system relies on deeply.
Patients need assurance that their data will remain secure, accurate, and only accessible to the right people while sharing their history over digital platforms. Unfortunately, many traditional systems are outdated, siloed, and vulnerable, making them an easy target for cybercriminals.
This is where blockchain technology comes in, not as a silver bullet, but as a powerful framework that ensures high-end trust and data security. But before you hire a blockchain development company in India to secure the data, it is worth understanding how and why.
The Blockchain’s decentralized and tamper-proof nature means healthcare providers can store and share patient data in a way that’s more secure, transparent, and resistant to hacking. Every change is logged, every access is tracked, and every participant in the system is accountable.
In short, blockchain brings a much-needed layer of security, integrity, and trust to a system that can’t afford to fail.
How Blockchain Help Enhancing Data Security and Pateint Care in Healthcare?
The role of blockchain is not just limited to the fintech and banking sectors. Its potential allows various industries and help enhance data security and patient care.
Let’s learn how blockchain is helping enhance data security:
1. Offering Decentralized Data Storage
Unlike traditional systems, blockchain stores data across a network, which reduces the risk of a single point of failure.
2. Immutability and Tamper-Proof Records
Once added, data on a blockchain cannot be altered without consensus. This capability of blockchain ensures medical records remain unchanged and traceable from unauthorized people.
3. Encryption and Access Control
All data is end-to-end encrypted, and access is controlled via private keys, so only authorized parties can view or update the records when needed.
4. Auditability and Transparency
Every action on the blockchain is logged and timestamped. Since all the data is logged on the ledger, therefore it makes it easier to trace who accessed or modified data, and when.
5. Real-Time Threat Detection
Blockchain systems can detect unauthorized changes or access attempts instantly as it constantly track user patterns and help to prevent breaches.
Now the question is “How Blockchain Helps Improve Patient Care?”
If you are still hesitating to hire blockchain developers in India, then learn here how blockchain helps in improving patient care.
1. Patient-Centered Data Ownership
Patients have more control over who can access their data and for what purpose, empowering them in their care journey.
2. Seamless Health Information Exchange
Providers can securely access up-to-date medical records, improving diagnosis accuracy and treatment efficiency with the latest medical records.
3. Reduced Medical Errors
Reliable and unified data helps reduce mistakes caused by fragmented or outdated records.
4. Faster Insurance Processing
Blockchain-based smart contracts can automate claims approvals and reduce delays in treatment coverage.
5. Support Remote Patient Monitoring
Wearable data and virtual consultations can be securely logged and shared using the capabilities of Blockchain and ensuring continuity of care from anywhere.
Conclusion
Blockchain is no longer a buzzword in the healthcare industry. It’s a practical solution to real-world problems. All you need is to hire a software developer to implement the Blockchain technology into the legacy system. From locking down patient data to streamlining care delivery, blockchain offers a level of security, efficiency, and transparency that traditional systems simply can’t match.
