World Medical. David Raths wrote articles about the technology blockchain in healthcare-informatics.com, a health magazine. The article entitled, "Does Blockchain Have a Future in Healthcare? My Interview with Gem CEO Micah Winkelspecht ".
Article he wrote was based on the results of interviews with Micah Einkelspecht, CEO of Gem HQ. A startup company based in Venice, which helps industry players in exploring Blockchain technology, including for health and medical world. Gem, develop Blockchain application platform that is more focused on health.
Previous National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to make an openly challenge to the scientists and researchers Blockchain, to create a paper or research that explores Blockchain technology for the health sector.
It made David Raths menoba interested enough to understand more about the technology blockchain. David, who is also a writer and editor in Healtcare Informatics was once also wrote about the potential Blockchain in the world of higher education, or called by Campus Technology. In this case, the technology can be used for transcripts Blockchain.
Chief Innovation Officer of the University of Texas, Phil Long, noting that the transcripts in the form of educational records ever received a student at the university, has been controlled by the agency and not by the students. According to Phil Long, Blockchain has the potential to provide a record of individual learning achievement, which may be disclosed publicly. He said, "One thing that is interesting is, that potential can reassert lesson notes owned by the student," he explained.
Still in the world of education, David Raths also explained how the MIT Media Lab began to publish the source code of the digital certificate. Authentication system based on digital certificates Blockchain, depending also how Bitcoin quite dependent also on Blockchain. About Blockchain, Philipp Schmidt, Director of Education at the Media Lab Blockchain explain how the technology works. He explains: "Basically, just Blockchain distribution ledger to record the transaction. Which makes it quite special is, because the recording was durable, there are time-stamped, transparent and decentralized nature. Such characters are equally useful to be able to manage the financial transactions into the system's reputation. In fact, you can consider the reputation of the currency in social capital, not financial capital, "he explained.
Then how this technology can be applied to the health sector? Micah Winkelspecht said when interviewed about Blockchain and world health. According to him, in terms of the patient's medical records, such records can be stored in some kind of centralized system. But provide little access to or control of the people who are entitled to have his medical records. Winkelspecht said, "There is a huge boost to be able to focus more centralized system in the health sector, but the data storage can be stored all over the place with a low interoperbilitas." He said.
According to him, there is a misunderstanding about this Blockchain in the medical record. He considers that the actual Blockchain inefficient as data storage. By the nature and character of Blockchain, all the data can be replicated by any node in the network. So it is so exaggerated. Not so efficient if used to store data that is big enough.
Winkelspecht in startup Gem, using Blockchain as registration documents. The data is then stored in an external data storage space. "So, you can think like a library catalog can tell where the location of the book you are looking for." In addition, it can also be used to record permanently the function of time-stamp, which comes with the stamp of a fingerprint (digital signature) to each the stored data.
So you can provide a strong guarantee for the integrity of the stored data. "We can apply an additional layer of identity to any such data in Blockchain. So that we can re-look pieces of data that has been modified, each additional data. So we can see who added the information on the data, and when the data modification is done ".
Then David Raths tried to inquire about the process of how the medical record this works technically. For a patient, the doctor will be directed to the patient's medical file universally. So it is not so dependent on the specialization of the physician to be able to access the patient's medical file. Because files are universally even then recorded. Suppose a patient seeing a general practitioner, and made a visit reports, radiology results, all the files file will also be saved. If then the patient to the radiology room, the radiologist can also use the same identifier for the patient, then they upload again scanned radiologinya. So if the patient back to the general practitioner, then all the stored data is also stored in the recording process is the same as before.
Winkelspecht explained that there is no centralized data repository, because the data can be stored in the system treasure. With blockchain, can be used for access control and layer access rights. Provide a layer of access rights to all data. So it becomes a layer integrity of the stored data as well.
Because the data is recorded with the registration document which has been given the time-stamp on each document, then there is no document that can be modified without the knowledge of others. Because every action performed as access to any stored data will be confirmed and recorded in Blockchain.
With that, it allows the recording of data using Blockchain be a perfect audit history. It's capable of storing data externally using Blockchain as a valid data source. Memeberikan permissions are valid also for access to a document. With this Blockchain technology, Winkelspecht assume will be able to have an accurate patient history from beginning to end. And in several different systems, "It would be a model of interoperability that can show how EMRs must work," he explained.
However, Winkelspecht also recognize that there are many hurdles to implement Blockchain in the health field. It includes how to buy it from a vendor EHR. Gem associated with the startup that it manages, he considers can not expect it, then people will flock Blockchain apply. According to him, Gem trying to build a consensus is expected to involve a lot of big companies in the field of health.