BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY: WHAT & WHY IN HEALTHCARE?

Victoria L. Lemieux

University of British Columba

June 25, 2019

2

BLOCKCHAIN . . . WHA . . ?

Source: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/04/28/58/042858f0e12d812a1b104712d3e421b5.jpg

https://blockchain.pwias.ubc.ca/

)

BLOCKCHAIN . . .IT’S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3!

1. Social Dimension or what you are trying to achieve: e.g., wellness!

2. Data Dimension or what data do you need to achieve it and how it needs

to be managed and maintained: e.g., private and secure

3. Technical Dimension or what type of blockchain and how it needs to

operate to achieve the goals in the data and social dimensions

WHAT IS BLOCKCHAIN?

Address (hash of

originator’s public key)

of transaction originator

Originatordigitally signs

the transaction with their private key

Address (hash of

receiver’s public key)

of the receiver of

the transaction

Completed transaction output hash

Block

• Hash of transaction A

• Hash of transaction B

• Hash of transaction C

• Etc.

Transaction processing using public-private key pairs on the blockchain (Source: Victoria L. Lemieux,

“Blockchain Recordkeeping: A Swot Analysis,” Information Management; Overland Park 51, no. 6

(December 2017): 20-22,24,26-27.

TRANSACTIONS AND BLOCKS CHAINED TOGETHER

Blockchain structure (Source: Nakamoto, 2008)

TRANSACTIONS AND BLOCKS DISTRIBUTED OUT

Source:

https://interparestrust.org/assets/p

ublic/dissemination/StancicPreserv

ationofAuthenticDigitalRecordsUsi

ngBlockchain.pdf

THE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY STACK

Generic Blockchain Recordkeeping Reference Architecture (Source: Lemieux, 2017, updated).

BLOCKCHAIN USE CASES –RECORDKEEPING (2YRS AGO)

BLOCKCHAIN USE CASES –RECORDKEEPING (NOW)

Source: https://vonx.io/ and

https://orgbook.gov.bc.ca/en/home

BLOCKCHAIN IN HEALTHCARE

CASE STUDY 1: BLOCKCHAIN FOR

HEALTH CARE CONSENT

• Medical research relies on patients sharing their

health data

• It is unethical and illegal to use patients’ data

without those patients’ explicit informed consent

• Getting and documenting informed consent is

currently a very slow, laborious process

• Research question: Can we improve the process

using a blockchain?

• Short answer: Maybe.

UBC Blockathon for Social

Good 2017: https://blockchainubc.ca/2017/05/30/b

lockathon/

PROOF OF CONCEPT: PROOF

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

“We have developed a “secure and

transparent data sharing platform proof-

of-concept on the Nuco Ethereum

platform, a new User-Interface, and data

storage using Amazon Web Services

(AWS’s) S3”

• In other words, a blockchain-

based data sharing application

with off-chain storage

PRIVACY

https://www.coindesk.com/theres-alternative-facebook-called-self-sovereign-identity

SELF-SOVEREIGN ID/DATA MOVEMENT

& FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

➢ Every individual human being is the original source of their

own Identity.

➢ Identity is not an administrative mechanism for

others to control.

➢ Each individual is the root of their own identity, and central

to its adminstration.

➢ The role of names, citizenship, licences and other credentials

should be distinct.

Self-Sovereign ID/Data Movement &

Fundamental Principles

Individual Data, Individual Control

Molecular You health data

Securely consent to use data by signing with private key

Receive rewards for use of data

Personal blockchain wallet holds all data

Private key keeps data safe

SO WHAT?

• Ultimately, blockchain solutions could:

• Reduce time of the research cycle

• Increase study participant enrollment

• Improve trust between institutions

• Provide secure & verifiable data collection

• Provide efficient, secure, and reliable processes

• Provide easy tracking of data flows

➢ Still emerging, and technical changes to

how blockchain operates can be expected.

➢ Need to remain curious & humble about

our knowledge

➢ More info available here:

http://armaedfoundation.org/press-release-

foundation-publishes-new-research-report-

2/