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. 2023 Nov 21:11:1266385.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1266385. eCollection 2023.

Non-fungible tokens in healthcare: a scoping review

Shahabeddin Abhari  1 , Plinio Morita  1   2   3   4   5 , Pedro Augusto Da Silva E Souza Miranda  1 , Ali Garavand  6 , Thokozani Hanjahanja-Phiri  1 , Dmytro Chumachenko  7
Affiliations

Non-fungible tokens in healthcare: a scoping review

Shahabeddin Abhari et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that are verified using blockchain technology to ensure authenticity and ownership. NFTs have the potential to revolutionize healthcare by addressing various issues in the industry.

Method: The goal of this study was to identify the applications of NFTs in healthcare. Our scoping review was conducted in 2023. We searched the Scopus, IEEE, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Cochrane scientific databases using related keywords. The article selection process was based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

Results: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 13 articles were chosen. Then extracted data was summarized and reported. The most common application of NFTs in healthcare was found to be in health data management with 46% frequency, followed by supply chain management with 31% frequency. Furthermore, Ethereum is the main blockchain platform that is applied in NFTs in healthcare with 70%.

Discussion: The findings from this review indicate that the NFTs that are currently used in healthcare could transform it. Also, it appears that researchers have not yet investigated the numerous potentials uses of NFTs in the healthcare field, which could be utilized in the future.

Keywords: NFT; blockchains; healthcare; medical; metaverse; non-fungible tokens.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Opportunities of NFTs in healthcare based on Musamih et al. (44).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scoping literature review procedure.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The number of publications published year since NFTs concept provided.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The frequency of type of study.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The frequency of types of blockchain platforms.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Distribution of NFTs-based solutions on the TRL model.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The frequency of applications of NFTs in healthcare.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The current state of applications of NFTs in healthcare.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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