What is it about?

Estonia is leading the way in using blockchain technology for health records. Blockchain makes records more secure and shareable between health providers and insurance companies. Estonia partnered with a private tech company to put over 1 million health records on blockchain. This makes the records harder to hack. It also lets patients, doctors, and insurers access them more easily. Estonia shows how governments can work with private companies to innovate with new technology. They still face challenges in spreading blockchain health records globally. And getting hospitals, doctors, and patients to use them. But Estonia sets an example for improving health care with blockchain.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This article is important because it demonstrates how governments can successfully innovate and implement emerging technologies to solve complex public problems. Estonia's use of blockchain for health records is an early real-world application of the technology beyond cryptocurrency. It shows the potential of blockchain to make confidential data more secure while enabling appropriate sharing between authorized parties. Estonia's systematic approach of partnering with private tech firms provides a model other countries could follow. Their innovation is pivotal when healthcare systems must improve quality and reduce costs globally. By pioneering the use of blockchain for health records, Estonia established itself as a leader in GovTech. Their solution could inspire other nationwide blockchain innovations.

Perspectives

Estonia has been pioneering the use of blockchain for health records for years now. This case study exemplifies my longtime interest in studying how governments can leverage emerging technologies to tackle complex policy problems. I focused on Estonia because of its systematic yet agile approach to partnering with private tech firms through "GovTech." As an early innovator in e-governance, Estonia was well-positioned to recognize the potential of blockchain, an extremely timely and disruptive technology. While challenges remain, I'm optimistic that Estonia's solution represents a watershed moment for blockchain and could drive its mainstream adoption for other confidential data applications. I hope this case study stimulates blockchain innovation in government and health care.

Thomas F Heston MD
University of Washington

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: A Case Study in Blockchain Healthcare Innovation, Authorea, Inc.,
DOI: 10.22541/au.151060471.10755953.
You can read the full text:

Read

Resources

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page