Blockchain Potentials to Enhance Identified Data Usability Challenges Generated by Wearables

Abstract

Blockchain, the underlying technology behind cryptocurrency, has found use in many industries, such as healthcare, where Internet-of-Things (IoT)-enabled wearables and home use medical devices allow patient data to be collected by the patient themselves, which causes concerns related to data generation, transmission, and storage. The purpose of this quantitative study is to increase the understanding of what concerns medical professionals have about data usability generated by these devices, and if blockchain can eliminate these challenges. An online survey was distributed to 29 medical professionals. The findings that surveyed participants showed that significant concerns that the patients' IT skills, device malfunction, data privacy, the patient's exam skills and environment during the exam are factors that may affect the patient health data. Upon analyzing blockchain capabilities, it was discovered that it can be used as a solution to some of the identified hurdles and help to comply to the health data priorities in healthcare ethics.