With the web’s gradual transition from the centralized web 2.0 to the decentralized web3, new use cases are emerging in this iteration. The healthcare industry is one in which web3 is finding numerous applications.
The use cases of Web 2.0 have been all around us recently. When the second generation of the internet emerged, it introduced innovative technologies such as telemedicine, Electronic Health Records, and healthcare applications into the healthcare industry. Accessing these technologies poses several risks, even though they have benefited humanity. Due to the need for more transparency in our centralized servers, our data is frequently at risk. The data can be easily modified or deleted by anyone who has access. This is a significant concern in healthcare and among patients who utilize healthcare institutions. However, web3 is an exception.
Web3 is revolutionizing patient data management and aiding in the organization of medical records in the healthcare industry. Web3 is being used to develop new healthcare services and solutions daily. It illustrates the emergence and prominence of web3 in healthcare.
Thus, Web3 for healthcare is advantageous, providing numerous use cases such as tracing counterfeit medicines, data security, and metaverse surgeries. Examine web3’s healthcare applications and use points in the healthcare industry.
What is web3?
Users can now own and control their data thanks to Web3, the third iteration of the web. In contrast to the current web 2.0’s centralized ecosystem, web3 creates a decentralized setting where data is distributed, and no central authority meddles with user data control. The read-write web has many flaws, including centralization, censorship, data leakage, etc.
A permissionless, peer-to-peer ecosystem is created by the read-write-own web3, supported by blockchain technology. It provides users with the advantages listed below.
- Ownership
- Censorship resistance
- Decentralized Autonomous Organizations(DAOs)
- Self-sovereign identity
- Native payments
Web3 for healthcare can provide the advantages above and more. Examine how web3 and healthcare are complementary.
Web 2.0 and healthcare
Healthcare 2.0 refers to the medical technology that appeared alongside web 2.0 in the middle of the 2000s. Health 2.0 transformed the traditional healthcare delivery model into a more efficient one. It used various technological platforms to give patients access to and control over their information, including telemedicine, connected health, mHealth, and more.
With web 2.0, patients can track their health history and assess their health using platforms and applications for healthcare. Numerous applications can monitor your physical and mental well-being, including track in intakes dietary intakes like MyFitnessPal, hydration like Waterlogged, exercise and workout sessions, yoga and meditation Down Dog, and mental health like Talkspace, and many health care systems, experiences, and outcomes through the integration of patients and stakeholders, health 2.0 is defined as “participatory health care characterized by the ability to share, classify, and summarize individual health information rapidly.” Social networking, openness, participation, and collaboration within and between user groups are made possible by web 2.0 tools for the healthcare industry. Through health-related websites or portals, Electronic Health Records (EHR), virtual communities and online support groups, home care and chronic disease management systems, and telemedicine and teleconsultation applications, it significantly advanced the conventional e-health model that first appeared in the 1900s. Additionally, it made healthcare more accessible to rural areas.
It had flaws even though it transformed the healthcare industry and the system. It presents several security risks and information vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals and hackers are looking for vulnerable databases for ransom.
Data encryption, which can put your institution at risk, should be one of many technical security measures that healthcare institutions with access to electronically Protected Health Information (ePHI) should have. Data insecurity can also be caused by out-of-date medical equipment and devices lacking the most recent threat defenses, an absence of documented cybersecurity policies and procedures, and inadequate cyber awareness.
Web 2.0 has improved the healthcare system, but it has also increased threats related to data security and other problems. Therefore, the introduction of web3 is a huge relief for the healthcare industry. After learning the fundamentals of web3, let’s examine how web3 in the health sector can help the industry.
Web3 in healthcare
Web3’s impact on medical innovation is phenomenal in the healthcare industry. These are the three Web3 components that can revolutionize the healthcare industry:
- Blockchain – Web3 is based on blockchain technology, a distributed, encrypted database that enables secure data storage and transfers that the data owner can only access.
- Metaverse – Metaverse is a virtual world that provides users with an immersive environment using technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, blockchain, and more.
- NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens, supported by the blockchain, are one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable tokens used to track the ownership of tangible or digital assets.
Blockchain, the foundation of web3, enables healthcare professionals to store patient data using its immutable digital ledger technology securely. As they are distributed across nodes, these data cannot be altered or tampered with. On the other hand, a metaverse can transform digital healthcare such as telemedicine and teleconsultation, into a more engaging and lifelike environment.
The blockchain-based tokens of web3, similar to NFTs, grant their user’s ownership rights. It allows the healthcare ecosystem to be patient-centric while decentralizing data ownership and transferring it to individuals. This signifies a major shift in healthcare.
Web3 use cases in healthcare
Data ownership and management for patients
Web3 for healthcare is primarily used in major healthcare institutions for data management. Each patient presenting to a hospital has unique symptoms, vulnerabilities, diseases, and treatments. As a result, each patient requires a separate and comprehensive medical record, which can be challenging for hospital management administration, as hundreds to thousands of patients may visit the facility daily. This can lead to disorganized data management and data overload.
Moreover, most health records are stored on centralized servers, which patients cannot access, robbing them of their right to information.
As the foundation of web3, blockchain can aid in managing patient data. It provides a structured method for storing data in the immutable record-keeping ledger. Those who can access the information are aware of any modifications made due to its transparency. In addition, patients have the exclusive right to grant access to others to their data. Therefore, only authorized medical professionals have access. Let us see how it works.
Healthcare providers use smart contracts to store a patient’s health record on the blockchain. The generated public key or unique identifier is then required for data access. Any physician desiring access to the data must possess the public key or identification. No data shall be disclosed to healthcare professionals without the public key, and the patient may share the key with the professional whenever necessary. This makes the patient the owner of their data, providing them with privacy for their sensitive information.
Data security
How healthcare data is currently managed is susceptible to security flaws and easily hackable. Unfortunately, numerous examples from the past show that relying solely on these centralized servers is a bad idea.
Blockchain technology is impenetrable to tampering because it is a decentralized, distributed, and immutable ledger. Since the data is spread across nodes, it would be nearly impossible for a hacker to hack, alter, or delete the data without attacking every node in the network. Additionally, the patient’s consent is required to access the data. The data cannot be altered because of its transparency. As a result, healthcare providers can securely store sensitive information without worrying about data breaches.
Drug counterfeit control
Due to a lack of transparency in the pharmaceutical supply chain, pharmaceutical counterfeiting is becoming a major concern for the healthcare industry. Illicit drug manufacturers alter and counterfeit the original drug, resulting in medicines with diminished amounts of required ingredients or active ingredients that should be listed on the label. This can negatively impact the patient’s health and exacerbate their disease. Even though pharmaceutical companies are implementing countermeasures to combat the menace of counterfeit drugs, illicit manufacturers continue to find creative ways to market their fake drugs.
Web3 in healthcare would help manage and reduce the market for counterfeit drugs. The blockchain provides security and drug tracking. In a blockchain-based ecosystem, every transaction detail is added to immutable blocks that cannot be edited, changed, or removed. Additionally, the transaction records are timestamped. Therefore, the issue of pharmaceuticals counterfeiting can be resolved if the entire supply chain is migrated to the blockchain and each drug is registered on the chain before circulation.
If a drug record cannot be located on the blockchain, it can be easily identified as counterfeit and removed from the supply chain before reaching consumers. This verifies the genuineness of medicines. In addition, it can be used to track the distribution of drugs, identify inefficiencies, and discover any changes to the supply stock.
The security of the pharmaceutical supply chain can be enhanced if each drug has a token ID (NFT) that streamlines the tracking process. Additionally, each NFT metadata will store the specificity or information of each drug.
Surgical operations
In the medical industry, technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics, and minimally invasive surgery are currently on the rise, especially among prestigious hospitals and universities. It provides a 3D view of the patient’s body, assisting doctors in the planning and execution of surgical procedures. However, AR and VR alone cannot lead to clinical decisions, whereas metaverse can meet the demands of medical professionals to carry out proper surgical techniques.
The metaverse integrates various technologies, including AR, AI, VR, 3D reconstruction, blockchain, and more, providing a distinctive ecosystem for performing operations. Through the metaverse, patients who require surgery but do not necessarily have access to it in their home country can work with surgeons worldwide. The doctors can then formulate a strategy by reviewing the patient profile and selecting the best action.
Sometimes renowned surgeons work with surgeons from another location to support operations through the metaverse. This has been shown to be successful in nations without access to certain diseases or disorders’ symptoms or treatments. Such surgeries are made possible by the metaverse’s 360-degree view of the patient’s body, which also aids in pinpointing the affected area, like a lung tumor.
Medical training
Current medical education practices are restricted to 2D images and videos. Despite ethical concerns, numerous medical training institutions permit medical students to practice on corpses. The rise of metaverse technologies is a relief. Various medical training institutions are already utilizing AR, VR, and MR to teach students about human anatomy.
Metaverse can stimulate real-world processes and let students view cellular-level details of the human body in three dimensions. Without introducing risk factors, the 3D visualization provides an immersive experience, social communication, and an engaging environment. Additionally, students can conduct virtual surgeries in the metaverse and gain practical experience before engaging in actual surgeries.
Metaverse helps students diagnose diseases, learn human anatomy, and prepare for surgery, among other things.
Patient medical record and monetization
Under the current system, if a patient seeks treatment at multiple medical facilities, each hospital maintains a separate file for the patient’s medical records. The patient might have 10 medical record files spread across 10 hospitals if they visit 10 different ones. As a result, there might not be a single master patient record document, leading to a fragmented healthcare ecosystem. Private patient health records are dispersed across numerous platforms in an unorganized fashion.
Each record can be sorted and organized in one location by the patient if web3 technologies are used for medical record keeping and management. If they change to another medical community member, they can still access the patient file. By doing this, they can avoid carrying around their files and explaining their medical history from doctor to doctor.
Additionally, by converting their medical records to NFTs, patients can make money off of them. They can create NFTs out of the documents and then store them in the blockchain. These NFTs can be tracked, and only the patient can access them. Then they can sell it to medical professionals or other parties interested in using the information for research or creating new medical products.
Conclusion
Web3 development company has the potential to alter the healthcare industry. It can decentralize the system and return data to users, who should have been data owners from the beginning. However, the data is under the control of healthcare behemoths, who may sell it to unauthorized third parties.
Web3 integration in healthcare can return data control to users and facilitate the management of a structured data management system. The distributed, personalized, and traceable nature of Web3’s data will eventually bring transparency, accessibility, and affordability to the healthcare ecosystem.
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