Restoring Consumer Privacy and Healthcare Delivery: Effectiveness of Blockchain Technology

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Across the globe effective healthcare management and its delivery is of prime concern. Governments generate and maintain infrastructure for healthcare and its facilities ensuring every citizen to receive the basic and advanced treatments. There have been significant advances with regard to delivery of healthcare to populations, irrespective of their economic status. Handling and security of medical records and data belonging to patient is a major concern for hospital managements. Privacy of patient’s personal information and statistics are important but can be scattered and fragmented leading to ineffective health service and as malpractice in delivery. The Constitution of India, 1950 contains various fundamental rights for its citizens and foreigners. As per Article 21, the right to life and personal liberty is considered as one of the fundamental right entitled to every citizen without discrimination on basis of religion, race, socioeconomic conditions. In addition, the right to health and medical care also falls under Article 21 via judicial pronouncement. Good health is significant for all and include factors like- life-style, food habits, hygiene, sanitation and healthcare facilities etc. Explanation of these factors are relevant to understand the core concept of patient’s privacy for medical and healthcare. Relevancy of blockchain technology in patient’s privacy has become much significant because hospital’s system of record keeping may be vulnerable to cyber-attacks and frauds. Thus, introduction of blockchain technology in hospitals ensures safety and security of data and medical records. The access to data is available to patient, the network members and the hospital management to timely update and provide availability whenever required. To achieve this aim, there is a need of legal framework which intends to secure medical records and statistics. This article aims to discuss relevancy of blockchain technology in securing patient’s privacy with regard to hospital’s healthcare delivery and its management.<b>Methodology</b> Blockchain technology is helpful in securing and handling patient data where in the information stored is impossible to theft, hack or changed. Timely healthcare delivery to all is the need of hour and blockchain technology can provide easy access to secure and comprehensive data and patient’s medical record. This article shall examine and analyses various international documents, national provisions, hospital management, books, legislations, reports, articles concerning to blockchain technology and patient’s privacy.