The skyrocketing costs of healthcare and the new blockchain technologies spawn new disruptive health services.
What if...
Jane comes home from the doctors office. It is bad news. A rare form of cancer. So rare in fact there have been only 18 documented cases. The prognosis is not good. She has had a PET Scan, an MRI, blood work, and reports that seem inconclusive are but her oncologist believes she is patient #19.
Jane, after some soul searching, decides to to get a second opinion. She logs into her account on the dHealthNetwork and uploads her files, scans and reports, creates a second opinion token using the myHealthIRL records service. She creates a request to evaluate her health condition and attaches a payment value she can afford.
She receives 3 responses... 2 pointing to a hot spot on her PET SCAN that indicates cysts that are fairly common in women her age and the blood work she had uploaded also support this opinion.
One of the second opinions came from a gynaecologist that Jane is comfortable with because of the doctor's reputation, experience, status, and certification (RESC) points, so she asks for a referral to someone in her area.
Post surgery for removal of the cysts she is back to being herself again. energetic, vibrant and happy.
...
In a decentralised healthcare system (DHS) this "story" is becoming a reality.
What is a DHS?
Start with an APP to store your health information. Combine it with tools that help you organise that data. Add the ability to scan your social data. As a member of this community you share in a technology that gives you an active up to date picture of your health.
Since the community owns the tools, systems and file storage. Healthcare consumers individually choose the disposition of their data. Each user can release their metadata by checking "add to research pool". Blockchain verified history of treatments and therapies will align that data with the patient's body type, activity level, age, therapies and outcomes without releasing private information.
Research data that is based on this blockchain framework will have a verified providence without releasing names and addresses.
What if...
Dr. Thomas looks over the dHealthNetwork pool for the next client that needs help. Her device searches for patients needing her speciality. She chooses a record set from the pool to see if she can help this woman with a diagnosis of a rare form of cancer. She reviews the blood work and recognises something she has seen before. She writes up her opinion and she gets paid. No needing to file reports or create appointments. No need for an office at all.
THe dHealthNetwork service called myHealthIRL, lets an individual retain ownership of their health history. By owning their records dHealthNetwork members create a foundation for exploring health options and open exchange of information. With better access to the complete health history of an individual, healthcare service providers create better outcomes for the patients.
If the member chooses to share their metadata in the dHealthNetwork research pool (think donor card), everyone can benefit from an immutable set of histories providing the raw data for global research. Creating data sets that are trusted and true because they are verified via blockchain tools. Better outcomes and therapies will be backed by trusted reporting. Private data stays private. Open metadata has a trackable reliable history.
By storing their health picture in a health wallet this also enables individuals to engage with healthcare providers globally. The myHealthIRL tools facilitates collaboration between individuals, service providers and other collaborators. You can find a collaborator anywhere in the world, share your health history and have an online review. It is easy to provide a comprehensive picture of your health and to proactively seek advice from multiple, relevant sources.
Health collaborators can assist you in your quest for health knowledge and guidance. They may include:
- Nurses
- Doctors
- Nutritionists
- Chiropractors
- Friends
- Other individuals with similar issues or goals
From these collaborations, an individual can gain insights about which therapies have the most effective outcomes for them and this creates a global set of health data for the use by researchers and individuals.
What if ... is now
Ivan Jasenovic is the founder and MD at a blockchain development company on the Sunshine Coast of Australia because a girl from 27 years ago found him on facebook.