Blockchain and the Future of Healthcare

Blockchain - a technology that utilizes distributed ledgers and has been popularized by the cryptocurrency bitcoin - is a potentially disruptive and transformative form of innovation being explored across several industries.  However, blockchain is also in the middle of a “hype cycle”, with the healthcare industry now entering the phase of “peak of inflated expectations”.  Navigating the hype around blockchain is challenging, but it gets harder when taking into account the complexity and highly regulated nature of the healthcare industry.

In response to the challenge, this workshop will examine how blockchain technology needs to be “fit-for-purpose” in order to encourage adoption in the healthcare and ensuring solutions are responsive to the industry’s unique and diverse use cases.  This includes assessing how a blockchain’s technology design elements need to be customized to different healthcare challenges (e.g. clinical trial management, genomics, health supply chain, biomedical research, medical records, digital identity, fraud and abuse, etc.)  The workshop will also address other specific challenges such as data management, privacy considerations, and policy and standards setting.  These will be illustrated through presentation of research, case studies, debate, and guest speakers from the industry.