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Introduction
Blockchain technology is a digital ledger that stores information electronically and allows the sharing of this information unaltered. This technology has enhanced information’s security and originality by making it difficult for unauthorized sources to access data and distort it (Agbo et al.). Blockchain has been employed in several industries to enhance data privacy and efficient organization of information to enhance operations. This paper uses the CDC case study to analyze the application of Blockchain technology in the healthcare industry in tracking the country’s health statistics to identify and respond to potential healthcare crises effectively.
CDC Case Study
The CDC is partnering with IBM to employ Blockchain technology to obtain accurate statistics on the national health status. The technology to be used aims to give the government instant access to vital information in the healthcare sector by combining data from the private and public healthcare providers (Corrigan). Having immediate access to vital information is necessary for the government to identify any negative patterns that signal the possibility of a healthcare crisis thus allowing the relevant stakeholders to effectively respond to such threats. By making healthcare data digital, individuals have a chance to have control of their health data, including monetizing it when sharing such data with government agencies (Corrigan). Additionally, Blockchain allows the parties sharing information to have the right to determine who can access the information and deny access to those who do not qualify.
However, this project is faced with several obstacles, including the complexity of integrating Blockchain technology into the more extensive and diverse healthcare system. Besides, for the project to be practical, there is a need to include the private sector and all the other stakeholders in the healthcare system to entire that sharing of data is enhanced (Corrigan). However, the private sector is reluctant about the effectiveness of Blockchain technology, especially the storage space for the large amount of data required to be stored for future references. Therefore, there is a need for proof of success from the pilot projects to convince the other stakeholders of the effectiveness of the Blockchain technology.
Analysis
Managing healthcare crises is one of the significant priorities of the government which aims ensure that emerging healthcare conditions do not thrive and overwhelm the healthcare sector. To effectively handle these emergencies, the government, through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), needs to have accurate data on the healthcare status of the nation. However, collecting this information has been a significant challenge that the government has been experiencing due to the unavailability of data. In some cases, the relevant parties have been reluctant to share their medical records due to skepticism about the security and privacy of the current electronic system.
Additionally, the CDC has been relying on the National Center for Health Statistics data, which has been experiencing insufficient information, thus making it difficult for the government to have accurate statistics on the national health status. Furthermore, some of the data provided by the concerned parties have been inaccurate due to misinterpretations or alterations that create a misleading perception of the health state of the country (Corrigan). If a crisis emerges, it will be challenging to manage it due to a lack of practical preparations.
Based on these challenges, the partnership between the CDC and IBM will succeed in finding solutions to the problem regarding insufficient healthcare data. Blockchain technology will solve this problem of inaccurate information in various ways. Firstly, the technology will promote the security of the shared data by using encryption and cryptography mechanisms (Agbo et al.). These systems protect data from leaking into unauthorized sources or being tampered with during the sharing process. Additionally, Blockchain enables the receiver of the information to confirm the authenticity by generating an encryption key that prevents third parties from having access to the information.
Secondly, by allowing the sharing of information unaltered, Blockchain technology allows the government to receive accurate data on the healthcare sector, thus devising appropriate plans for crisis management. Accurate data provides the relevant stakeholders with a clear pattern of the risk factors likely to cause a medical crisis (Agbo et al.). It, therefore, enables the researchers to make an accurate prediction of the oncoming emergency and address the contributing factors on time before the actual disaster occurs. Thirdly, Blockchain technology provides a secure storage system necessary for storing the collected data for further analysis and future references. Blockchain uses distributed ledger technology to store data chronologically in a series of ledgers. The data is usually encrypted, thus only giving access to the parties with the encrypted passcode.
Lastly, Blockchain technology gives people the privilege of having control of their medical records and effectively monitoring their health. Additionally, having patient-controlled medical records enhances transparency between the patient and the medical officers on the various underlying issues they are experiencing. It, therefore, gives the medical providers accurate data on the prominent healthcare conditions affecting people and their causative agents enabling the government to act on time. Furthermore, Blockchain gives patients the freedom to decide who they want to share their healthcare data with (Agbo et al.). This freedom allows them to monetize their records when sharing the data with interested parties.
The most effective type of Blockchain ideal for the CDC project is public permissionless Blockchain technology. A permissionless Blockchain allows any public member to join and does not have a central authority that regulates the number of people joining the platform (Agbo et. al.). Therefore, since the CDC aims to get accurate health statistics for the whole country, it is necessary that the technology used is inclusive and does not restrict any party for whatever reason from joining the platform. Additionally, the operations of a public Blockchain are decentralized, thus giving all the platform members equal rights in making decisions regarding the issue of interest. In this case, since every member of the public contributes to the national healthcare statistics, they have equal chances of contributing to the decisions affecting healthcare (Agbo et al.). These rights include sharing medical records that will help the government effectively prepare for medical emergencies.
Furthermore, a public Blockchain is ideal for solving the challenges of data being experienced by the government because it is more secure than the other types of Blockchain. Since many people access the public Blockchain, its security is enhanced by the blocks that the people joining the platform continue to form (Farouk et al.). Therefore, many people make the public Blockchain’s security system unbreakable compared to the controlled number of people that the private Blockchain accommodates. However, the many people making up the public Blockchain make the transaction process slower than the other. In this case, it would be difficult for the government to retrieve adequate data when the need arises. Therefore, this allows the government to continuously generate data from the slower transactions of the public Blockchain such that when the need arises, the necessary information is already available (Farouk et al.). Lastly, the public Blockchain guarantees the members’ privacy because, unlike in private Blockchain, members of the public Blockchain do not know each other, thus creating a great sense of privacy.
Using Blockchain technology is better than using a trusted third party because Blockchain guarantees the privacy and sect of shared information. Unlike other third-party providers, Blockchain is encrypted, thus guaranteeing the authenticity of the information and its accuracy (Farouk et al.). Additionally, Blockchain enhances transparency among stakeholders by giving them access to the information of interest and making it difficult to alter the information. However, several challenges are associated with using Blockchain technology. Firstly, the complexity of the technology that makes it rely on blocks makes it inefficient when there is little awareness. To employ this technology at a national level, there is a need to fully orient the public on the technology’s vital elements, which may consume resources and time (Farouk et al.). Secondly, Blockchain technology is unreliable in emergencies because it is slower, especially when there are many people in the case of a public Blockchain. Lastly, the cost of operating Blockchain technology is high compared to the other centralized technologies.
Employing Blockchain technology in obtaining healthcare statistics provides measurable objectives because it will save the government resources and time by facilitating efficient data collection. Additionally, the technology offers a conducive time frame for the CDC to achieve its targets by facilitating rapid collection and analysis of large data. Lastly, Blockchain technology will give the government operations accountability by enhancing transparency during transactions and encouraging the parties to operate with integrity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Blockchain technology is vital in providing the CDC with accurate data necessary for making effective plans for handling healthcare emergencies. This technology enhances the security and privacy of the data making it difficult for third parties to alter the authenticity of the data. In this case, the ideal type of Blockchain is the public Blockchain because it does not restrict the number of members, thus giving all interested parties to provide essential information regarding healthcare statistics.
Works Cited
Agbo, Cornelius C., Qusay H. Mahmoud, and J. Mikael Eklund. “Blockchain Technology in Healthcare: A Systematic Review.” Healthcare, vol. 7, no. 2, 2019.
Corrigan, Jack. “Monitoring The Nation’s Health Through Blockchain Technology”.Gbbcouncil.Org, 2018.
Farouk, Ahmed, et al. “Blockchain Platform for Industrial Healthcare: Vision and Future Opportunities.” Computer Communications, vol. 154, 2020, pp. 223-235.
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