Blockchain Technology in Healthcare: The Idea and What Lies Beyond

Abstract

Blockchain technology has recently been at the center stage of academic discussions. This is owing to its use in the financial sector and the rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. In essence, digital ledger technology (DLT) is shared digital data spread across multiple sites. A blockchain is a type of DLT consisting of a growing list of records, called blocks, securely linked with a time stamp. Maintaining data privacy and security is one of the core benefits of using the blockchain network. In healthcare, efficient data sharing is desirable with secure long-term access to data. In recent years, numerous applications built on blockchain infrastructure have been introduced in the healthcare sector. In this narrative review, we intend to introduce the science of blockchain technology, its core concepts, and its application to healthcare. We also describe current instances of its application in the healthcare sector, its application from the Indian perspective, and its limitations and future possibilities.