Utah employs blockchain for medical records sharing

Utah has teamed up with HHS Technology Group (HTG) to design and employ a blockchain-powered solution for sharing patient records.

From this partnership, a solution will be provided to facilitate the sharing of data among medical providers, health plans and patients. The solution is expected to be very useful during natural disasters and other related crises.

This medical records database will be based on MediBook, a HTG’s blockchain-powered, cloud-based solution. The solution will ensure that complete longitudinal patient records are shared and managed across disparate, multiple systems. Patient data can be accessed via a blockchain-based digital wallet, while also maintaining the data’s integrity and security.

Medical records solution in healthcare crisis

There is high need for medical records to be shared, especially during healthcare crisis. One of the major healthcare crisis we are currently facing is COVID-19. The pandemic has posed serious healthcare challenges. An instance of such challenge lies in the inability to access medical records.

In a statement, HTG President Brett Furst said, “Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic have the potential to affect thousands of lives. Also, inflict widespread economic damage and confront state healthcare agencies with unprecedented challenges and uncertainty.”

HHS has positioned MediBook as a ‘crisis management electronic health record,’ and its goal is to grant access to patient records. Through this solution, the frontline health care professionals will access these records in a secure manner. By so doing, the professionals will be able to quickly review the medical records of new patients and would also detect some underlying health conditions which must be considered during the treating process.

With MediBook, a self-service portal is provided for proper documentation of patient information. This would support one’s ability to search for the patient’s data and also export and import data from legal systems.

Nick Lyon, the former Director of Health and Human Services for Michigan, said, “States are looking for innovative ways to leverage information technology to help cities, counties, and residents better respond to natural disasters and crises such as COVID-19.”

Apart from Utah, other states are also employing blockchain technology into their medical system. Angel Kids Pediatrics in Florida has employed a blockchain-based platform which helps in the management of COVID-19 testing. Meanwhile, health records firm EHR Data is working on a “real-time single source of truth” for prescriptions in the United States, utilizing the Bitcoin network to process its data.

Elsewhere, the United Arab Emirates introduced a new e-commerce platform to aid the relations between its food industry and farmers in India.