Read on Twitter
There are huge issues around data in healthcare currently.
From what I have seen, these can be boiled down to two areas: Patient identification and shareability of information.
Let me explain
From what I have seen, these can be boiled down to two areas: Patient identification and shareability of information.
Let me explain
Whenever a patient is seen at a hospital they must have a patient identification number. These numbers are unique within a hospital.
So for example, if I attended a hospital in Anambra, but while on holiday, I attended a hospital in Lagos, I would now have two unique patient identifiers, each associated with a different hospital visit.
If I then returned to Anambra and went to see my doctor, they would have no access to the information recorded while I was in hospital in Lagos 
The information is only stored locally in hand-written folders
Some hospitals are beginning to move to a cloud-based system, all be it very slowly.
Some hospitals are beginning to move to a cloud-based system, all be it very slowly.
However, moving to a cloud-based system does not solve the data interconnectivity issue, as it is likely the two hospitals would store their data in different ways.
The problem is still there.
The problem is still there.
All of these issues boil down to this — there is no widely used, decentralized, consistent data format for storing patient records that is accessible to all healthcare institutions.
Some healthcare institutions don't even care about data. Patients visit and they'll start looking for folder, probably end up opening a new one.
All previous data and information? Lost!
All previous data and information? Lost!
I know what you’re thinking. If someone can have access to the healthcare blockchain in which my patient information is stored, how is my information kept private?
I'll answer you.
I'll answer you.
There are two forms of blockchain; public and private. Public blockchains are the type we’ve heard most about.
These forms of blockchains can be accessed and interacted with by anybody who understands how to use them,
These forms of blockchains can be accessed and interacted with by anybody who understands how to use them,
although it’s important to note this does not mean anybody can access your information, only a ledger of that information.
While this is incredibly useful when trying to create a global transaction process, it is not ideal for hospitals that must ensure the privacy of their patient information.
However, this can be achieved using a private blockchain.
However, this can be achieved using a private blockchain.
Unlike their public counterparts, private blockchains are only accessible to those permitted to access them.
To truly understand blockchains use within healthcare, we must understand the concept of 'hashing'.
To truly understand blockchains use within healthcare, we must understand the concept of 'hashing'.
Hashing is the process through which we can take a string of any length (a string is coding speak for text) and convert into an output which has a fixed length.
Hashing has some very important properties which make it tremendously useful for data security and identification.
Hashing has some very important properties which make it tremendously useful for data security and identification.
By taking health records & placing them on the blockchain we would be making patients the owners of their healthcare information, removing this burden from hospitals.
Patients are identifiable via a hash which links directly to your health records.
Patients are identifiable via a hash which links directly to your health records.
However, these records would only be accessible for those who had the private key to access your healthcare information.
You would be the owner of this key and give permission for healthcare professionals to use it to access your data.
You would be the owner of this key and give permission for healthcare professionals to use it to access your data.
For example, I could give access to my GP and hospital doctor, wherever I happened to be and they would have instant access to my medical information.
Furthermore, your data on the blockchain is immutable and therefore immune to tampering by malicious entities.
Furthermore, your data on the blockchain is immutable and therefore immune to tampering by malicious entities.
Having control over your data also gives you the power of who you release it to within the research community. Not everyone can just pull up your data & use it for research. They'd have to do that, with your permission.
This being said, the integration of the blockchain into healthcare would require tremendous investment, both financial and temporal.
To convince the industry professionals and governmental bodies of its importance, its improvements in both efficiency and cost savings must be proven within the sector.
Not optimistic about the Nigerian healthcare industry embracing technology though, but we can only wish
Not optimistic about the Nigerian healthcare industry embracing technology though, but we can only wish
