Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: May 8, 2018
Open Peer Review Period: May 8, 2018 - Jun 5, 2018
Date Accepted: Aug 24, 2018
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Blockchain Implementation in Health Care: A Systematic Review Protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
A blockchain is a digitised, decentralised, distributed public ledger; a shared and synchronised database that records cryptocurrency transactions. Despite the shift towards digital platforms enabled by Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), demonstrating a will to reform the healthcare sector, health systems face issues including security, interoperability, data fragmentation, timely access to patient data and silos. Application of healthcare blockchains could enable data interoperability, enhancement of precision medicine and reduction in prescription frauds through implementing novel methods in access and patient consent.
Objective:
To summarise the evidence on the strategies and frameworks utilised to implement blockchains for patient data in healthcare to ensure privacy and improve interoperability and scalability. It is anticipated this review will assist in development of recommendations that will assist key stakeholders in healthcare blockchain implementation and we predict that the evidence generated will challenge the healthcare status quo, moving away from more traditional approaches and facilitating decision-making of patients, healthcare providers and researchers.
Methods:
A systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest Technology Collection and Engineering Index (Compendex) will be conducted. Two experienced independent reviewers will undergo titles and abstract screening followed by full-text reading to determine study eligibility. Data will then be extracted onto data extraction forms before using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (CCROBT) to appraise the quality of included randomised studies and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomised Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) to assess the quality of non-randomised studies. Data will then be analysed and synthesised.
Results:
Database searches will be initiated in September 2018. We expect to complete the review in December 2018.
Conclusions:
This review will summarize the strategies and frameworks used to implement blockchains in healthcare to increase data privacy, interoperability and scalability. This review will also help clarify if the strategies and frameworks required for the operationalisation of blockchains in healthcare ensure the privacy of patient data whilst enabling efficiency, interoperability and scalability. Clinical Trial: International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) number CRD42018096947.
Citation
Per the author's request the PDF is not available.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.