Challenges and future work directions in e-healthcare using blockchain technology
Dianne S. V. Medeiros, Diogo M. F. Mattos, Natalia Castro Fernandes, Antônio A. de A. Rocha, Célio V. N. Albuquerque, Débora C. Muchaluat-Saade · 2022
Electronic healthcare (e-healthcare) emerges as a trend for enhancing traditional healthcare systems that are costly and ineffective. Besides, blockchain technology provides a distributed and secure environment for sensitive applications. This chapter discusses challenges and future work directions for digital healthcare using blockchain technology. First, the chapter introduces how blockchain technology applies to healthcare applications. Then, it discusses the main requirements for developing blockchain-based healthcare applications. In addition, the chapter presents the key challenges for applying blockchain in this sensitive-data context, emphasizing critical technological and social aspects. Next, the chapter highlights the advantages and disadvantages of applying blockchain in healthcare. Finally, it concludes with future work directions and opportunities for research on the topic.