scholarly journals Blockchain Technology Projects to Provide Telemedical Services: Systematic Review

10.2196/17475 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. e17475
Author(s):  
Konstantin Koshechkin ◽  
Georgy Lebedev ◽  
George Radzievsky ◽  
Ralf Seepold ◽  
Natividad Madrid Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Medical Service ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Treatment Support ◽  
Diagnostic Support

Background One of the most promising health care development areas is introducing telemedicine services and creating solutions based on blockchain technology. The study of systems combining both these domains indicates the ongoing expansion of digital technologies in this market segment. Objective This paper aims to review the feasibility of blockchain technology for telemedicine. Methods The authors identified relevant studies via systematic searches of databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. The suitability of each for inclusion in this review was assessed independently. Owing to the lack of publications, available blockchain-based tokens were discovered via conventional web search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Yandex). Results Of the 40 discovered projects, only 18 met the selection criteria. The 5 most prevalent features of the available solutions (N=18) were medical data access (14/18, 78%), medical service processing (14/18, 78%), diagnostic support (10/18, 56%), payment transactions (10/18, 56%), and fundraising for telemedical instrument development (5/18, 28%). Conclusions These different features (eg, medical data access, medical service processing, epidemiology reporting, diagnostic support, and treatment support) allow us to discuss the possibilities for integration of blockchain technology into telemedicine and health care on different levels. In this area, a wide range of tasks can be identified that could be accomplished based on digital technologies using blockchains.

scholarly journals Blockchain Technology Projects to Provide Telemedical Services: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Koshechkin ◽  
Georgy Lebedev ◽  
George Radzievsky ◽  
Ralf Seepold ◽  
Natividad Madrid Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Medical Service ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Treatment Support ◽  
Diagnostic Support

BACKGROUND One of the most promising health care development areas is introducing telemedicine services and creating solutions based on blockchain technology. The study of systems combining both these domains indicates the ongoing expansion of digital technologies in this market segment. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to review the feasibility of blockchain technology for telemedicine. METHODS The authors identified relevant studies via systematic searches of databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. The suitability of each for inclusion in this review was assessed independently. Owing to the lack of publications, available blockchain-based tokens were discovered via conventional web search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Yandex). RESULTS Of the 40 discovered projects, only 18 met the selection criteria. The 5 most prevalent features of the available solutions (N=18) were medical data access (14/18, 78%), medical service processing (14/18, 78%), diagnostic support (10/18, 56%), payment transactions (10/18, 56%), and fundraising for telemedical instrument development (5/18, 28%). CONCLUSIONS These different features (eg, medical data access, medical service processing, epidemiology reporting, diagnostic support, and treatment support) allow us to discuss the possibilities for integration of blockchain technology into telemedicine and health care on different levels. In this area, a wide range of tasks can be identified that could be accomplished based on digital technologies using blockchains.

scholarly journals Elements of Trust in Digital Health Systems: Scoping Review (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afua Adjekum ◽  
Alessandro Blasimme ◽  
Effy Vayena
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Health Technologies

BACKGROUND Information and communication technologies have long become prominent components of health systems. Rapid advances in digital technologies and data science over the last few years are predicted to have a vast impact on health care services, configuring a paradigm shift into what is now commonly referred to as digital health. Forecasted to curb rising health costs as well as to improve health system efficiency and safety, digital health success heavily relies on trust from professional end users, administrators, and patients. Yet, what counts as the building blocks of trust in digital health systems has so far remained underexplored. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to analyze what relevant stakeholders consider as enablers and impediments of trust in digital health. METHODS We performed a scoping review to map out trust in digital health. To identify relevant digital health studies, we searched 5 electronic databases. Using keywords and Medical Subject Headings, we targeted all relevant studies and set no boundaries for publication year to allow a broad range of studies to be identified. The studies were screened by 2 reviewers after which a predefined data extraction strategy was employed and relevant themes documented. RESULTS Overall, 278 qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and intervention studies in English, published between 1998 and 2017 and conducted in 40 countries were included in this review. Patients and health care professionals were the two most prominent stakeholders of trust in digital health; a third—health administrators—was substantially less prominent. Our analysis identified cross-cutting personal, institutional, and technological elements of trust that broadly cluster into 16 enablers (altruism, fair data access, ease of use, self-efficacy, sociodemographic factors, recommendation by other users, usefulness, customizable design features, interoperability, privacy, initial face-to-face contact, guidelines for standardized use, stakeholder engagement, improved communication, decreased workloads, and service provider reputation) and 10 impediments (excessive costs, limited accessibility, sociodemographic factors, fear of data exploitation, insufficient training, defective technology, poor information quality, inadequate publicity, time-consuming, and service provider reputation) to trust in digital health. CONCLUSIONS Trust in digital health technologies and services depends on the interplay of a complex set of enablers and impediments. This study is a contribution to ongoing efforts to understand what determines trust in digital health according to different stakeholders. Therefore, it offers valuable points of reference for the implementation of innovative digital health services. Building on insights from this study, actionable metrics can be developed to assess the trustworthiness of digital technologies in health care.

scholarly journals A Survey on Securing Medical Data in Cloud Using Blockchain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
HariPriya K ◽  
Brintha NC ◽  
Yogesh C K
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Cloud Environment ◽  
Healthcare Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Block Chain ◽  
Security Concerns

Security is a major concern in every technology that is introduced newly to facilitate the existing mechanism for better maintenance and handling. This is also the case in electronic health records. The data of the hospitals and the associated patients gets digital in the past few decades. The data is stored in the cloud for various reasons such as convenience of the participating entities to access it, easy maintenance. But, with this there also arises various security concerns. It has been observed from the reason studies that blockchain is used as the means of securing the healthcare data in the cloud environment.This study discusses the following. 1) Applications of blockchain in cloud environment, 2) Applications of blockchain in securing healthcare data 3) General issues and security concerns in blockchain technology and what features of block chain makes it suitable for securing health care a nd what features restricts it from using.This work helps the future researchers in getting a deep understanding of the in and out of applying blockchain in cloud and healthcare environment.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Telepsychiatry: Development of Evidence-Based Guidance for Clinicians

10.2196/21108 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e21108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Smith ◽  
Edoardo Ostinelli ◽  
Orla Macdonald ◽  
Andrea Cipriani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Clinical Questions

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents unique challenges in health care, including mental health care provision. Telepsychiatry can provide an alternative to face-to-face assessment and can also be used creatively with other technologies to enhance care, but clinicians and patients may feel underconfident about embracing this new way of working. Objective The aim of this paper is to produce an open-access, easy-to-consult, and reliable source of information and guidance about telepsychiatry and COVID-19 using an evidence-based approach. Methods We systematically searched existing English language guidelines and websites for information on telepsychiatry in the context of COVID-19 up to and including May 2020. We used broad search criteria and included pre–COVID-19 guidelines and other digital mental health topics where relevant. We summarized the data we extracted as answers to specific clinical questions. Results Findings from this study are presented as both a short practical checklist for clinicians and detailed textboxes with a full summary of all the guidelines. The summary textboxes are also available on an open-access webpage, which is regularly updated. These findings reflected the strong evidence base for the use of telepsychiatry and included guidelines for many of the common concerns expressed by clinicians about practical implementation, technology, information governance, and safety. Guidelines across countries differ significantly, with UK guidelines more conservative and focused on practical implementation and US guidelines more expansive and detailed. Guidelines on possible combinations with other digital technologies such as apps (eg, from the US Food and Drug Administration, the National Health Service Apps Library, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) are less detailed. Several key areas were not represented. Although some special populations such as child and adolescent, and older adult, and cultural issues are specifically included, important populations such as learning disabilities, psychosis, personality disorder, and eating disorders, which may present particular challenges for telepsychiatry, are not. In addition, the initial consultation and follow-up sessions are not clearly distinguished. Finally, a hybrid model of care (combining telepsychiatry with other technologies and in-person care) is not explicitly covered by the existing guidelines. Conclusions We produced a comprehensive synthesis of guidance answering a wide range of clinical questions in telepsychiatry. This meets the urgent need for practical information for both clinicians and health care organizations who are rapidly adapting to the pandemic and implementing remote consultation. It reflects variations across countries and can be used as a basis for organizational change in the short- and long-term. Providing easily accessible guidance is a first step but will need cultural change to implement as clinicians start to view telepsychiatry not just as a replacement but as a parallel and complementary form of delivering therapy with its own advantages and benefits as well as restrictions. A combination or hybrid approach can be the most successful approach in the new world of mental health post–COVID-19, and guidance will need to expand to encompass the use of telepsychiatry in conjunction with other in-person and digital technologies, and its use across all psychiatric disorders, not just those who are the first to access and engage with remote treatment.

scholarly journals Blockchain Technology: Is It a Good Candidate for Securing IoT Sensitive Medical Data?

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabil Rifi ◽  
Nazim Agoulmine ◽  
Nada Chendeb Taher ◽  
Elie Rachkidi
Keyword(s):  
Personal Data ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Wireless Devices ◽  
Sensitive Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
Technology Solution

In the past few years, the number of wireless devices connected to the Internet has increased to a number that could reach billions in the next few years. While cloud computing is being seen as the solution to process this data, security challenges could not be addressed solely with this technology. Security problems will continue to increase with such a model, especially for private and sensitive data such as personal data and medical data collected with more and more smarter connected devices constituting the so called Internet of Things. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for a fully decentralized peer-to-peer and secure technology solution to overcome these problems. The blockchain technology is a promising just-in-time solution that brings the required properties to the field. However, there are still challenges to address before using it in the context of IoT. This paper discusses these challenges and proposes a secure IoT architecture for medical data based on blockchain technology. The solution introduces a protocol for data access, smart contracts and a publisher-subscriber mechanism for notification. A simple analytical model is also presented to highlight the performance of the system. An implementation of the solution as a proof of concept is also presented.

scholarly journals SeFra

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Charanya R. ◽  
Saravanaguru R.A.K. ◽  
Aramudhan M.
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Electronic Health Information

Electronic health information is an efficient technique for providing health care services to society. Patient health information is stored in the cloud, to allow access of eHealth information from anywhere, and at any time, but the technical problems are security, privacy, etc. Sharing the medical data in a trustless environment is overcome by the proposed framework SeFra. The proposed work provides a secure framework to manage the eHealth record by using blockchain (SeFra). For authentication purposes, a temporal shadow is used and the integrity of health records is ensured by blockchain technology.

scholarly journals Blockchain: Medical Data System

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 600-605
Author(s):  
Janak Damre
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Data System ◽  
Blockchain Technology

Abstract: We've been hearing a lot about cryptocurrencies lately. With about 3,000 distinct cryptocurrencies on the market right now, it's evident that they're here to stay, despite their unpredictable nature. But did you realise that nearly all cryptocurrencies are based on the same idea? Blockchain technology underpins nearly all cryptocurrencies. Blockchain, also known as the shared ledger, is one of the most secure digital technologies due to its distributed nature. Keywords: Centralized & Decentralized, Blockchain, Solidity

Digital Health, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Cybersecurity Issues

2021 ◽  
pp. 243-252
Author(s):  
Lev R. Klebanov ◽  
◽  
Svetlana V. Polubinskaya ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Expert Assessment ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Public Health Challenges

The article focuses on a wide range of cybersecurity issues related to the use of digital technologies in healthcare. Many countries are increasingly adopting digital innovations into their national health systems and therefore raise their cybersecurity risks. The number of cyberattacks on health care organizations is steadily increasing; and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has required more frequent use of digital technologies to address public health challenges, has also influenced the proliferation of criminal cyberattacks. The aim of the study was to describe the main types of criminal, mostly digital, risks for digital health and identify the most important ways to counteract them. The article includes an analysis of international and national regulatory documents, foreign scientific literature, reports of organizations dealing with cybersecurity issues. In preparing it, the authors used general and specific scientific methods including analysis, synthesis, formal and legal analysis, historical method, interdisciplinary research, and expert assessment. The authors conclude that the increasing use of digital technologies in health care, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, expands the number of targets for cybercriminals. Three main types of digital health criminal risks are identified: attacks on health care organizations, attacks on devices used for medical purposes, including those associated with the Internet of Medical Things, and the theft and disclosure of digitally stored confidential medical information. The latter group of acts is committed by both outsiders and employees of healthcare organizations. The vast majority of registered cybercrimes are profit motivated ones, and the most common cybercrime is extortion with the use of malicious software (ransomware). To counter criminal risks for digital health, the authors propose a set of actions divided into three groups such as legal, technical, and educational. According to the authors, international and national criminal law should immediately respond to digital criminal threats to healthcare systems, in particular by making relevant international agreements and by including the manner in which such crimes are committed into criminal laws as an aggravating circumstance. In addition, the authors note the formation of a special direction in cybersecurity research and practice - healthcare cybersecurity - which requires the development of an appropriate industry, with respective hardware, software, informational and educational products that would be aimed at eliminating and reducing the risks for digital health.

scholarly journals Peculiarities of blockchain technology introduction in the field of healthcare: current situation and prospects

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-44
Author(s):  
Я.О. Ключка ◽  
О.В. Шматко ◽  
С.П. Євсеєв ◽  
С.В. Милевський
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Healthcare Data ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Technology Introduction ◽  
Counterfeit Products ◽  
Isolated Systems

The current situation in the field of health care is considered and the key problems faced by this industry are described. Today, there are two main issues to be addressed in healthcare: data ownership and data security. The patient's medical data is preferably stored in centralized, isolated systems that are incompatible with each other. This situation creates difficulties in terms of timely exchange of medical data and access to them. The lack of data complicates further diagnosis and treatment of the patient. In addition, systems that store medical data are not completely reliable. Third parties can easily access and modify medical data. It is expected that blockchain technology can solve the problems that currently exist in the field of health care. Blockchain technology will create distributed, decentralized systems that will significantly improve the quality of care provided. The paper considers the areas in the field of health care, in which blockchain technology is beginning to develop, as well as related projects. All considered projects can be divided into four areas: supply chain surveillance and fight against counterfeit products, telemedicine, diagnostics, storage and management of medical data. The healthcare sector is developing rapidly and new areas are expected in which the blockchain will be used. Although there are still some problems that need to be overcome for the blockchain to be fully used.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Telepsychiatry: Development of Evidence-Based Guidance for Clinicians (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine Smith ◽  
Edoardo Ostinelli ◽  
Orla Macdonald ◽  
Andrea Cipriani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Clinical Questions

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents unique challenges in health care, including mental health care provision. Telepsychiatry can provide an alternative to face-to-face assessment and can also be used creatively with other technologies to enhance care, but clinicians and patients may feel underconfident about embracing this new way of working. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to produce an open-access, easy-to-consult, and reliable source of information and guidance about telepsychiatry and COVID-19 using an evidence-based approach. METHODS We systematically searched existing English language guidelines and websites for information on telepsychiatry in the context of COVID-19 up to and including May 2020. We used broad search criteria and included pre–COVID-19 guidelines and other digital mental health topics where relevant. We summarized the data we extracted as answers to specific clinical questions. RESULTS Findings from this study are presented as both a short practical checklist for clinicians and detailed textboxes with a full summary of all the guidelines. The summary textboxes are also available on an open-access webpage, which is regularly updated. These findings reflected the strong evidence base for the use of telepsychiatry and included guidelines for many of the common concerns expressed by clinicians about practical implementation, technology, information governance, and safety. Guidelines across countries differ significantly, with UK guidelines more conservative and focused on practical implementation and US guidelines more expansive and detailed. Guidelines on possible combinations with other digital technologies such as apps (eg, from the US Food and Drug Administration, the National Health Service Apps Library, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) are less detailed. Several key areas were not represented. Although some special populations such as child and adolescent, and older adult, and cultural issues are specifically included, important populations such as learning disabilities, psychosis, personality disorder, and eating disorders, which may present particular challenges for telepsychiatry, are not. In addition, the initial consultation and follow-up sessions are not clearly distinguished. Finally, a hybrid model of care (combining telepsychiatry with other technologies and in-person care) is not explicitly covered by the existing guidelines. CONCLUSIONS We produced a comprehensive synthesis of guidance answering a wide range of clinical questions in telepsychiatry. This meets the urgent need for practical information for both clinicians and health care organizations who are rapidly adapting to the pandemic and implementing remote consultation. It reflects variations across countries and can be used as a basis for organizational change in the short- and long-term. Providing easily accessible guidance is a first step but will need cultural change to implement as clinicians start to view telepsychiatry not just as a replacement but as a parallel and complementary form of delivering therapy with its own advantages and benefits as well as restrictions. A combination or hybrid approach can be the most successful approach in the new world of mental health post–COVID-19, and guidance will need to expand to encompass the use of telepsychiatry in conjunction with other in-person and digital technologies, and its use across all psychiatric disorders, not just those who are the first to access and engage with remote treatment.

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