Blockchain Adoption in Healthcare: Enhancing Interoperability, Security and Data Exchange
Abstract
Fragmented data across the healthcare industry increasingly impedes interoperability, compromises data security, and ultimately interferes with safe and quality patient care delivery. This research introduces a framework that uses blockchain technology to enhance interoperability and data exchange in healthcare environments. Leveraging qualitative methods,semi-structured interviews were held with fifteen health care practitioners at various facilities who gave their insights and perceptions of data sharing and blockchain technology. The findings were thematic and conceptualized through the Technology Acceptance Model, focusing on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, and the Technology-Organization-Environment framework that examined organizational support and regulatory compliance. Thematic analysis identified four main themes, including (i) factors influencing adoption: ease of use with four participants, usefulness with three participants, organizational support with two participants, regulatory compliance with two participants, and technical infrastructure with two participants. (ii)Application areas included patient data management, billing and payment, and remote patient monitoring; (iii) benefits such as a more effective decentralized system, safer storage of data, and patient empowerment. (iv)Challenges included privacy concerns, the costs of implementation and system failure, and patients' knowledge and stakeholders' digital literacy. The findings suggested that stakeholders knew the potential disruption to any blockchain system. However, major issues needed to be addressed before implementation. This research expands the conversation about innovative solutions to health care interoperability. It exposes potential ways to address the challenges to adoption. Recommendations for future research include examining the scalability and integration of blockchain technology across different healthcare environments and addressing the pressing need for empirical evidence regarding its real-world applications and impacts.
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