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. 2022 Apr 11;17(4):e0266462.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266462. eCollection 2022.

Blockchain technology in healthcare: A systematic review

Huma Saeed  1 , Hassaan Malik  1   2 , Umair Bashir  1 , Aiesha Ahmad  1 , Shafia Riaz  1 , Maheen Ilyas  1 , Wajahat Anwaar Bukhari  1 , Muhammad Imran Ali Khan  1
Affiliations

Blockchain technology in healthcare: A systematic review

Huma Saeed et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Blockchain technology (BCT) has emerged in the last decade and added a lot of interest in the healthcare sector. The purpose of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to explore the potential paradigm shift in healthcare utilizing BCT. The study is compiled by reviewing research articles published in nine well-reputed venues such as IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, Springs Link, Scopus, Taylor & Francis, Science Direct, PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, and MDPI between January 2016 to August 2021. A total of 1,192 research studies were identified out of which 51 articles were selected based on inclusion criteria for this SLR that presents the modern information on the recent implications and gaps in the use of BCT for enhancing the healthcare procedures. According to the outcomes, BCT is being applied to design the novel and advanced interventions to enrich the current protocol of managing, distributing, and processing clinical records and personal medical information. BCT is enduring the conceptual development in the healthcare domain, where it has summed up the substantial elements through better and enhanced efficiency, technological innovation, access control, data privacy, and security. A framework is developed to address the probable field where future researchers can add considerable value, such as data protection, system architecture, and regulatory compliance. Finally, this SLR concludes that the upcoming research can support the pervasive implementation of BCT to address the critical dilemmas related to health diagnostics, enhancing the patient healthcare process in remote monitoring or emergencies, data integrity, and avoiding fraud.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PRISMA flow chart-based studies selection process.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Number of articles published per year.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Country-wise publications of selected research studies.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Constructs key framework.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Major healthcare domains where BCT has been used.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Role of blockchain in clinical trials.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Sharing health information using BCT.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Records of patients.
Fig 9
Fig 9. Drug tracking.
Fig 10
Fig 10. Research framework.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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