With the recent Coranavirus pandemic, it’s come to light how unprepared many of us are for such a mass health crisis. As nurses, doctors and resources are stretched thin, it wakes us up to how we need to be far more prepared for future health crises.
Blockchain could provide us with easier access to health care, better centralised information, and the ability to easily audit our own healthcare supplies. Here’s how.
There’s an information problem
Amidst COVID-19, there has been one clear message: there simply isn’t easy enough access to information for people globally.
The blockchain creates a centralised and secure database for information. It can provide confirmed information from legitimate from governments and verified health organisations.
This can help people know the proper measures to take and where and how to access the relevant healthcare or tests without bombarding doctors surgeries and hospitals. Having a centralised and reliable source of information ensures a single source of truth.
Blockchain-backed platforms can also provide a comprehensive and trustworthy method of medical supply chain tracking. Face masks, hand sanitiser, gloves and other protective gear need to be tracked to ensure a lack of counterfeit production, to mitigate loss, and to control distribution.
Accessing healthcare services
Blockchain-backed platforms can provide people with the knowledge of where they should go for healthcare. They can also provide a transparent and auditable record for donations to research and those in need.
As a result, some companies are already moving towards this. A blockchain startup in Hangzhou, China, developed a donation-tracking platform that allows donors to see where funds are urgently needed and then track their donations to verify their donations have been received.
In addition, blockchain platforms assist medical personnel. By putting medical information on the blockchain, we can connect multiple different health organizations and hospitals across the globe. This will not only save costs and make hospital treatment more efficient, but it could also save lives.
Blockhead Technologies creates blockchain-enabled solutions in many areas, including supply chain tracking. You can find out more about STAMP Supply here. Contact us here for a demo or for more information.