Blockchain, or, more generically, “digital ledger technology,” enables the sharing of data without a centralized authority. This technology is primarily used in finance; see Bitcoin, Etherium, et. al., but can it successfully be applied to healthcare where the security of data is paramount to patient safety? Our VP of Healthcare, Paul Snyder, recently delved into the complex world of blockchain for healthcare and the possible security threats that accompany it with Florence Hudson, founder of FDHint, LLC and a former vice president and chief technology officer for IBM, in a recent piece for the Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA).
From the SEMDA blog:
“In a clinical trials scenario, imagine a distributed ledger that could synchronize a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s clinical trial development process with regulators and providers, then connect to a public blockchain for patient advocate groups to increase the number of participants in the trial. The manufacturer of course wouldn’t share proprietary details of the chemical compound(s), but it may more effectively make the trial and benefits known to the concerned community. If we can streamline the clinical trial process, we could accelerate drugs to market and improve healthcare outcomes.”
Click here to read the full blog on the SEMDA website.
Write2Market is working with SEMDA to improve awareness, member engagement and registrations for the 2019 SEMDA Medtech Conference taking place in Alpharetta, Ga., on April 8-10. Having generated multiple new healthcare practice clients and prospects through our five-year partnership with SEMDA, we know it is a value-based opportunity for attendees. We encourage local, regional and national medtech innovators, investors, large strategics and ecosystem service providers to attend.