In this advanced technological world, the speed of the internet makes personal healthcare information (PHI) more readily available than ever before. Although it’s tough to quantify the results of this change, it seems certain that health data security will remain a top priority for the hospitals and other healthcare organizations that are tasked with securely managing people’s information.
Questions loom for healthcare data security
From 600 million to more than 4 billion, recording around 566 percent increase, the year 2016 saw a significant increase in data security breaches. This means that in 2016 alone, 12 million records were compromised due to lack of data security in the healthcare industry.
Blockchain technology
With these data security breaches in mind, a growing number of conversations invoke blockchain technology as a potential solution for data security. Blockchain technology is best known as the data architecture that runs the cryptocurrency bitcoin.
Further, one definitive feature of a blockchain is that it allows transactions to be verified and also recorded through the consensus of hundreds of computers in its network. And, this type of network is decentralized.
This technology may be highly significant for healthcare, as any data transaction or entry entered into an electronic health record could be effectively validated against a ledger containing previous activity.
The Blockchain: A Potential Solution?
With the introduction of blockchain technology, it would give patients much greater accountability with respect to ownership of their health information. Patients could even approve or deny data sharing or changes. So, a healthcare information model based on blockchain technology would not only prevent recording mistakes but, at the same time, it would also boost privacy levels and consumer control.
Chicago-based attorney, and blockchain and digital security expert, Pamela Morgan likes to play the devil’s advocate. Morgan admits there is some confusion as to what a blockchain can and cannot do.
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Date: June 29, 2017