A report published in the International Journal of Health Geographics has medicine as the first industry completely revolutionized by Blockchain technology, but it will not be easy.
After analyzing 40 articles of the PubMed magazine, the researchers noticed a continuous and growing interest on the part of the medical sector and the researchers of the industry in the development of blockchain solutions to simplify almost everything related to health.
Suggested use cases range from pushing supply chains to securing patient data and medical records, but the report also highlights some fairly futuristic concepts. A radically advanced concept, for example, provides for the use of augmented reality technologies enabled in blockchain for "crisis mapping and recovery scenarios".
The document attributes to the block chain the potential to control smart drones driven by distributed point-to-point applications, designed to provide relief in emergency situations. Autonomous vehicles that deliver vital equipment for medical care in extreme cases, such as defibrillators, are some of the most advanced applications that develop faster than expected.
Leaving emergency situations aside, the report states that Internet of Things (IoT) technology is "the basis of smart and healthy cities and regions of today and tomorrow." A project funded by the European Union, Guide2Wear, is building smart, portable devices supported by blockchain that could facilitate travel on public transport.
The report states that the materialization of these innovations will not be easy, since all the great ideas inevitably also face great challenges. All block chains must be resistant to "51 percent attacks" and have robust security measures, especially taking into account the sensitive nature of data related to medical and GPS records.
Interoperability (communication between blocks) is another important obstacle, especially for budding smart cities. The relationship between multiple chains must be perfect to be able to reap the benefits that technology offers.
The researchers emphasize that perhaps the most pressing existential problem faced by blockchain technology could simply be the European Union. In May, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective. It requires that all personal data can be deleted at the request of users, a difficult situation for a distributed ledger that uses eternal immutability as a means to guarantee trust in confidential data.
Considering that more than a month has passed since the promulgation of the new EU privacy guidelines, and that blockchain startups continue to flourish throughout Europe, then it is quite possible that the distributed ledgers are technically exempt, since privacy and security are fundamental stones in its marketing offer.