1BlockchainForHealthDataandItsPotentialUseinHealthITandHealthCareRelatedResearchLaureA.LinnMarthaB.Koo,M.D.laure.linn@yahoo.comm.koo2@me.comI.IntroductionItisaveryexcitingtimeforhealthcareandinformationtechnology(IT).Duetoimprovementsingeneticresearchandtheadvancementofprecisionmedicine,healthcareiswitnessinganinnovativeapproachtodiseasepreventionandtreatmentthatincorporatesanindividualpatient’sgeneticmakeup,lifestyleandenvironment.Simultaneously,ITadvancementhasproducedlargedatabasesofhealthinformation,providedtoolstotrackhealthdataandengagedindividualsmoreintheirownhealthcare.CombiningtheseadvancementsinhealthcareandinformationtechnologywouldfostertransformativechangeinthefieldofhealthIT.TheAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActrequiredallpublicandprivatehealthcareproviderstoadoptelectronicmedicalrecords(EMR)byJanuary1,2014,inordertomaintaintheirexistingMedicaidandMedicarereimbursementlevels.ThisEMRmandatespurredsignificantgrowthintheavailabilityandutilizationofEMRs.However,thevastmajorityofthesesystemsdonothavethecapacitytosharetheirhealthdata.BlockchaintechnologyhasthepotentialtoaddresstheinteroperabilitychallengescurrentlypresentinhealthITsystemsandtobethetechnicalstandardthatenablesindividuals,healthcareproviders,healthcareentitiesandmedicalresearcherstosecurelyshareelectronichealthdata.Inthispaperwedescribeablockchainbasedaccess-controlmanagertohealthrecordsthatwouldadvancetheindustryinteroperabilitychallengesexpressedintheOfficeoftheNationalCoordinatorforHealthInformationTechnology’s(ONC)SharedNationwideInteroperabilityRoadmap.InteroperabilityisalsoacriticalcomponentanyinfrastructuresupportingPatientCenteredOutcomesResearch(PCOR)andthePrecisionMedicineInitiative(PMI).AnationalhealthITinfrastructurebasedonblockchainhasfar-reachingpotentialtopromotethedevelopmentofprecisionmedicine,advancemedicalresearchandinvitepatientstobemoreaccountablefortheirhealth.2II.UnderlyingFundamentalsofBlockchainTechnologyBlockchainisapeer-to-peer(P2P)distributedledgertechnologyfo...
