Blockchain application in healthcare service mode based on Health Data Bank

doi:10.1007/s42524-020-0138-9

Front. Eng

2020, Vol. 7

Issue (4) : 605-614 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-020-0138-9

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Blockchain application in healthcare service mode based on Health Data Bank

Jianxia GONG, Lindu ZHAO(

)

School of Economics & Management, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China

Download: PDF(887 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

Blockchain is commonly considered a potential disruptive technology. Moreover, the healthcare industry has experienced rapid growth in the adoption of health information technology, such as electronic health records and electronic medical records. To guarantee data privacy and data security as well as to harness the value of health data, the concept of Health Data Bank (HDB) is proposed. In this study, HDB is defined as an integrated health data service institution, which bears no “ownership” of health data and operates health data under the principal–agent model. This study first comprehensively reviews the main characters of blockchain and identifies the blockchain-based healthcare industry projects and startups in the areas of health insurance, pharmacy, and medical treatment. Then, we analyze the fundamental principles of HDB and point out four challenges faced by HDB’s sustainable development: (1) privacy protection and interoperability of health data; (2) data rights; (3) health data supervision; (4) and willingness to share health data. We also analyze the important benefits of blockchain adoption in HDB. Furthermore, three application scenarios including distributed storage of health data, smart-contract-based healthcare service mode, and consensus-algorithm-based incentive policy are proposed to shed light on HDB-based healthcare service mode. In the end, this study offers insights into potential research directions and challenges.

Keywords Health Data Bank blockchain data assets smart contract incentive mechanism

Corresponding Author(s): Lindu ZHAO

Just Accepted Date: 08 September 2020 Online First Date: 29 September 2020 Issue Date: 02 November 2020

Cite this article:

Jianxia GONG,Lindu ZHAO. Blockchain application in healthcare service mode based on Health Data Bank[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 605-614.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fem/EN/10.1007/s42524-020-0138-9
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fem/EN/Y2020/V7/I4/605

Tab.1 Typical blockchain businesses in healthcare applications

Fig.1 Conceptual model of Health Data Bank.

Fig.2 Distributed health data storage platforms in HDB.

Fig.3 Private-chain-based Health Data Bank for medical knowledge service.

Fig.4 Alliance-chain-based Health Data Bank for multi-area resource integration.

Fig.5 Smart-contract-based healthcare service mode.

Fig.6 Consensus-algorithm-based incentive policy.

1	M Andoni, V Robu, D Flynn, S Abram, D Geach, D Jenkins, P McCallum, A Peacock (2019). Blockchain technology in the energy sector: A systematic review of challenges and opportunities. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 100: 143–174 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.10.014
2	V Babich, G Hilary (2020). Distributed ledgers and operations: What operations management researchers should know about blockchain technology. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, 22(2): 223–240 https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2018.0752
3	S Benniche (2019). Using blockchain technology to recycle cancer drugs. The Lancet Oncology, 20(6): e300 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30291-8 pmid: 31085048
4	X Chen (2019). The development trend and practical innovation of smart cities under the integration of new technologies. Frontiers of Engineering Management, 6(4): 485–502 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-019-0057-9
5	S F Cheng, G de Franco, H Jiang, P Lin (2019). Riding the blockchain mania: Public firms’ speculative 8-K disclosures. Management Science, 65(12): 5901–5913
6	M Chernyshev, S Zeadally, Z Baig (2019). Healthcare data breaches: Implications for digital forensic readiness. Journal of Medical Systems, 43(1): 7 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-018-1123-2 pmid: 30488291
7	P Constantinides, O Henfridsson, G G Parker (2018). Introduction— Platforms and infrastructures in the digital age. Information Systems Research, 29(2): 381–400 https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2018.0794
8	B Dodd (1997). An independent “Health Information Bank” could solve data security issues. British Journal of Healthcare Computing & Information Management, 14(8): 2
9	A Dolgui, D Ivanov, S Potryasaev, B Sokolov, M Ivanova, F Werner (2020). Blockchain-oriented dynamic modelling of smart contract design and execution in the supply chain. International Journal of Production Research, 58(7): 2184–2199 https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2019.1627439
10	A Ekblaw, A Azaria, J D Halamka, A Lippman (2016). A case study for blockchain in healthcare: “MedRec” prototype for electronic health records and medical research data. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Open & Big Data. Vienna: IEEE, 1–13
11	M A Engelhardt (2017). Hitching healthcare to the chain: An introduction to blockchain technology in the healthcare sector. Technology Innovation Management Review, 7(10): 22–34 https://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1111
12	T Felin, K Lakhani (2018). What problems will you solve with blockchain? MIT Sloan Management Review, 60: 32–38
13	Gartner (2019). Gartner 2019 Hype Cycle for blockchain business shows blockchain will have a transformational impact across industries in five to 10 years. Available at:
14	T Gerry, H F Brett (2020). Token-weighted crowdsourcing. Management Science, in press, doi: 10.1287/mnsc.2019.3515
15	J D Gold, M J Ball (2007). The health record banking imperative: A conceptual model. IBM Systems Journal, 46(1): 43–55 https://doi.org/10.1147/sj.461.0043
16	J Gong, L Zhao (2019). Creditworthiness-based service differentiation strategy for health data bank. Procedia Computer Science, 159: 1833–1842 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2019.09.355
17	K Jia, M Kenney, J Mattila, T Seppala (2018). The application of artificial intelligence at Chinese digital platform giants: Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. ETLA Reports, 81
18	Q Mao (2019). Developing status and system construction of crowd funding insurance system based on blockchain technology. Journal of Xihua University (Philosophy & Social Sciences), 38(2): 67–81 (in Chinese)
19	S Moin, A Karim, Z Safdar, K Safdar, E Ahmed, M Imran (2019). Securing IoTs in distributed blockchain: Analysis, requirements and open issues. Future Generation Computer Systems, 100: 325–343 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2019.05.023
20	M Risius, K Spohrer (2017). A blockchain research framework. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 59(6): 385–409 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-017-0506-0
21	M Shabani (2019). Blockchain-based platforms for genomic data sharing: A de-centralized approach in response to the governance problems? Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(1): 76–80 https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocy149 pmid: 30496430
22	K H Tan, N L Pang, C Siau, Z Foo, K Y Fong (2019). Building an organizational culture of patient safety. Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management, 24(6): 253–261 https://doi.org/10.1177/2516043519878979
23	T Zhou, X Li, H Zhao (2019). Med-PPPHIS: Blockchain-based personal healthcare information system for national physique monitoring and scientific exercise guiding. Journal of Medical Systems, 43(9): 305 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-019-1430-2 pmid: 31410583
24	R Ziolkowski, G Miscione, G Schwabe (2020). Decision problems in blockchain governance: Old wine in new bottles or walking in someone else’s shoes? Journal of Management Information Systems, 37(2): 316–348 https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2020.1759974

[1]	Yili REN, Jia LIANG, Jian SU, Gang CAO, He LIU. Data sharing mechanism of various mineral resources based on blockchain[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 592-604.
[2]	Qiang ZHANG, Baoyu LIAO, Shanlin YANG. Application of blockchain in the field of intelligent manufacturing: Theoretical basis, realistic plights, and development suggestions[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 578-591.
[3]	Gjorgji SHEMOV, Borja GARCIA de SOTO, Hoda ALKHZAIMI. Blockchain applied to the construction supply chain: A case study with threat model[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 564-577.
[4]	Algan TEZEL, Eleni PAPADONIKOLAKI, Ibrahim YITMEN, Per HILLETOFTH. Preparing construction supply chains for blockchain technology: An investigation of its potential and future directions[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 547-563.
[5]	Ziyao ZHANG, Zhenmin YUAN, Guodong NI, Han LIN, Yujie LU. The quality traceability system for prefabricated buildings using blockchain: An integrated framework[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 528-546.
[6]	Botao ZHONG, Haitao WU, Lieyun DING, Hanbin LUO, Ying LUO, Xing PAN. Hyperledger fabric-based consortium blockchain for construction quality information management[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 512-527.
[7]	Jian LI, Shichao ZHU, Wen ZHANG, Lean YU. Blockchain-driven supply chain finance solution for small and medium enterprises[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 500-511.
[8]	Yifeng TIAN, Zheng LU, Peter ADRIAENS, R. Edward MINCHIN, Alastair CAITHNESS, Junghoon WOO. Finance infrastructure through blockchain-based tokenization[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 485-499.
[9]	Hongfeng CHAI, Quan SUN, Yu ZHOU, Tao ZHU. Design of a digital currency information system based on the UnionPay network[J]. Front. Eng, 2020, 7(4): 471-484.
[10]	Andrew LOCKLEY, Zhifu MI, D’Maris COFFMAN. Geoengineering and the blockchain: Coordinating Carbon Dioxide Removal and Solar Radiation Management to tackle future emissions[J]. Front. Eng, 2019, 6(1): 38-51.
[11]	Jun WANG, Peng WU, Xiangyu WANG, Wenchi SHOU. The outlook of blockchain technology for construction engineering management[J]. Front. Eng, 2017, 4(1): 67-75.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed