Web3 is redefining patient data management and helps in the organization of medical records in healthcare. Web3 is being used to build numerous services and solutions for healthcare daily. It demonstrates the emergence and popularity of web3 in healthcare.

Web3 for healthcare is advantageous, with various use cases such as tracing fraudulent drugs, data security, metaverse procedures, and more. Let us look at how web3 can be utilized in healthcare and some of its applications in the healthcare industry.

What is Web3?

Web3 development is the third web version that empowers consumers to own and control their data. Unlike the current web 2.0 ecosystem, web3 offers a decentralized environment in which data is dispersed, and no central authority interferes with user data control. The current web, or read-write web, has issues such as centralization, censorship, data leakage, and others, which is where web3 comes in as a savior.

The read-write-own web3, powered by blockchain technology, creates a trustless, peer-to-peer, and permissionless ecosystem. It provides the following benefits to users.

  • Ownership
  • Censorship defiance
  • Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
  • Identity as a self-sovereign
  • Native payments

Web3 for healthcare can provide all of the benefits mentioned above and more. Let’s explore how web3 and healthcare go together.

Web3 in Healthcare

Web3 in hospitals is incredible since it provides innovation to the medical industry. The three components of web3 that have the potential to alter the healthcare business are as follows:

Blockchain – Web3 is built on blockchain technology, which is a distributed, encrypted database that allows for safe data storage and transfers that only the data’s owner has access to.

Metaverse – Metaverse is a virtual world that uses numerous technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, blockchain, and others to provide users with an immersive environment.

NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – are one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable tokens backed by the blockchain that is used to record the ownership of digital or physical assets.

Blockchain, the foundation of web3, allows healthcare providers to store patient information using immutable digital ledger technology securely. Because these data are dispersed among nodes, they cannot be changed or tampered with. A metaverse, on the other hand, can transform digital healthcare, such as telemedicine and teleconsultation, into a more interesting and immersive life-like environment.

Web3’s blockchain-based tokens, like NFTs, grant users ownership rights. It enables the healthcare ecosystem to be patient-centric while simultaneously decentralizing data by giving ownership to individuals. This represents a significant change in healthcare.

Uses of Web3 in Healthcare

Data management and ownership for patients

Web3 is primarily utilized in large healthcare organizations for proper data management. Each patient who walks into a hospital has their own set of symptoms, flaws, diseases, and therapies. As a result, each requires a separate and complete medical record, which can be difficult for hospital administration to handle, given that hundreds to thousands of patients visit the facility daily. As a result, unstructured data handling and information overload may occur.

Furthermore, health records are typically maintained on centralized servers to which individuals have no access, depriving them of their right to information.

Blockchain, the foundation of web3, can help with patient data management. It provides a systematic method of storing data in an immutable ledger of records. Because of its transparency, all changes in the information are obvious to those who can access it. Furthermore, patients have complete control over their data and the ability to provide access to others. As a result, only qualified medical practitioners have access to it. 

Data Safety

The current healthcare data management system is prone to security flaws and can be easily exploited. It necessitates excessive faith in centralized systems, and patients expect services not to misuse data or violate privacy standards. Unfortunately, several examples from the past demonstrate that these centralized systems cannot rely uncritically upon.

Furthermore, the growing number of data breaches is causing widespread anxiety among patients worldwide. According to HIPAA journal statistics, 50 healthcare data sets of 500 or more were submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Civil Rights in January 2022. (OCR). More than 1.35 million Broward Health patients were exposed by one such big breach announced in January.

Blockchain technology is tamper-proof because it is a decentralized, distributed, and unchangeable ledger. Because the data is scattered across nodes, an attacker would have to hack, edit, or erase the data by attacking each node in the network, which is nearly difficult. Furthermore, access to the data requires the patients’ agreement. Tampering with the data is also impossible due to its transparency. This enables healthcare providers to keep critical information without the worry of data breaches securely.

Read more: How To Start Hospital Or Clinic In Web3 Metaverse

As a result, unlike the centralized system, this decentralized healthcare system layout would aid in the reduction of several data security vulnerabilities that exist today. No one can misuse, access, or sell your sensitive and personal data without your permission, providing you with greater privacy and security.

Control of Counterfeit Drugs

Because of the lack of transparency in the pharmaceutical supply chain, pharmaceutical counterfeiting is becoming a serious concern in the healthcare business. Illicit drug makers tamper with and counterfeit the original drug, resulting in drugs with insufficient amounts of needed ingredients or active compounds that are not listed on the label. This can have an effect on the patient’s health and worsen their ailment. While medication makers work to eliminate the threat of counterfeit drugs, illegal manufacturers develop ways to offer their products as legitimate drugs.

Web3 in healthcare would aid in the handling and reduction of counterfeit pharmaceuticals on the market. Blockchain technology provides security and drug traceability. Each transaction detail is uploaded to the blocks in a blockchain environment, which cannot be edited, altered, or deleted. The transaction records are timestamped as well. So, if the entire supply chain is shifted to the blockchain and each drug is registered on the chain before circulating, the problem of counterfeit pharmaceuticals can be eliminated.

If a drug record is not located on the blockchain, it can simply be identified as falsified medicine and removed from the supply chain before it reaches consumers. This validates the medications’ genuineness. It can also be used to track medicine distribution, discover inefficiencies, learn about changes to supply stock, and much more.

The pharmaceutical supply chain’s security can be enhanced further if each medicine has a token ID (NFT) that facilitates tracking. Furthermore, each NFT metadata will store the drug’s uniqueness or information.

Surgical Procedures

AR, VR, robotics, and minimally invasive surgeries are currently on the rise in the medical industry, particularly among prominent hospitals and institutions. It provides a 3D image of a patient’s body, assisting surgeons in the planning and execution of surgical treatments. 

However, AR and VR alone cannot result in clinical decisions, whereas the metaverse can meet the needs of medical experts to undertake proper surgical operations.

The metaverse provides a unique ecosystem for performing surgeries by integrating several technologies such as AR, AI, VR, 3D reconstruction, blockchain, and others. Patients who require surgery that is not available in their home country can cooperate with specialists from all over the world via metaverse. These doctors can then devise a strategy by reviewing the patient profile and determining what is best for them.

In certain circumstances, renowned surgeons interact with doctors from different locations to aid in procedures via the metaverse. This has proven to be beneficial in places where diseases and operations for a certain sickness or disorder are not available. Such surgeries are made possible by the metaverse’s 360-degree view of the patient’s body, which aids in locating the damaged spot, such as a lung tumor.

Medical Education

Current medical training techniques confine students to 2D images and films, which they can only view and learn from. Many medical training schools allow students to practice on corpses, which raises ethical concerns. In this light, the rise of metaverse technology is considered a relief. Several medical schools now use AR, VR, and MR technology to teach students about human anatomy.

Metaverse can stimulate real-world procedures and allow pupils to observe a 3D representation of the human body’s cellular-level features. Without introducing any dangerous risks, 3D visualization contributes to providing an immersive experience, social communication, and an engaging atmosphere. Students can also perform virtual surgeries in the metaverse to gain hands-on experience before performing real-world surgery.

Overall, the metaverse assists students in diagnosing ailments, learning human anatomy, preparing for surgery, and more.

Patient medical records and revenue generation.

In the current system, if a patient seeks treatment at multiple medical institutions, each Hospital maintains a separate medical record file for the patient. If the patient visits ten different hospitals, they will each have ten medical record files. As a result, the healthcare ecosystem may become fragmented, with no one master document of the patient’s medical record. Sensitive patient health records are dispersed across multiple platforms in an unorganized fashion.

When web3 development companies develop these technologies that are used for medical record keeping and management, each record may be sorted and organized in one location by the patient. They can also access the medical record if they change healthcare providers. This eliminates the need to transport their data and explain their medical history from doctor to doctor.

Patients can also monetize their medical records by converting them to NFTs. They can create NFTs from the documents and store them on the blockchain. These NFTs are traceable, and no one other than the patient can access them. They can then sell the data to medical experts or third parties who want to use it for research or developing new medical goods.

Conclusion

Web3 has the potential to transform the healthcare industry. It has the potential to decentralize the system and return data to users, who should have been the data owners from the start. However, the data is currently under the custody of healthcare behemoths, who have complete authority over it. They could sell it to third parties and make a fortune without anyone knowing.

Integrating web3 in healthcare can return data control to users and aid in managing a structured data management system. Web3 data is distributed, personalized, and traceable, eventually providing transparency, accessibility, and affordability to the healthcare industry.