We live in a digital world, yet the majority of medical records such as blood test reports or x-rays are stored on paper. Moreover, most hospitals don’t share access to medical records, which is time consuming for doctors when prescribing treatments and inconvenient for patients. Having medical records on the blockchain can have a positive effect on disease management, disease prevention, and minimize unnecessary healthcare expenses. Digital health records will also open up the possibility for cross-border sharing of medical data if a patient is on holidays and requires treatment abroad. Estonia and Dubai are the frontrunners when it comes to management of medical records on the blockchain.

Medical Records in Estonia

Estonia is the first country in the world to have embraced the blockchain technology in its live production systems for ensuring the integrity of records, logs and systems. As one of the most digitally advanced in Europe, Estonia is among the few countries where it is possible to access hundreds of government services with an e-ID. The Estonian e-Health Foundation is now developing a blockchain-based system that will secure medical records of more than 1 million patients. The project is based on Keyless Signature Infrastructure, which protects the data from interference, glitches and viruses. This system enables only the entry of new data and keeps the records secure from any alteration. As a result, medical records on the blockchain will contribute to patients’ empowerment, medical transparency and improved dialog between caregivers and patients.  

Medical Records in Dubai

The government support is very important when it comes to digitising services and Dubai has one of the most tech-savvy governments in the world. Dubai’s government is currently testing blockchain technology for securing electronic medical records. This is a part of a bigger project aiming to secure all governmental documents on the blockchain by 2020. Dubai has created a proof-of-concept to test blockchain for data security, integrity and patients trust in managing and sharing electronic health records among healthcare stakeholders. This data security test strives to create a system for a seamless interaction between patient and doctor, where patients can share their information with any doctor in the system for a consultation.

Estonia and Dubai are leading the way in the blockchain revolution. They are demonstrating how blockchain can facilitate secure and reliable health records, make interactions more efficient, empower patients and improve the entire healthcare ecosystem.  

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