Taiwanese Hospital Picks Blockchain for New Patient Platform

Taipei Medical University Hospital has used distributed ledger technology with the aim to improve referral services in more than 100 healthcare institutions in Taiwan.

One of the largest Taiwanese medical centers, Taipei Medical University Hospital, has launched a blockchain-based healthcare platform, local media reported on Saturday. The institution chose the technology that underpins cryptocurrency like Bitcoin (BTC) in a bid to enhance the quality and security of referral services across the island.

The new system, called Healthcare Blockchain Platform, is a result of a project that unites more than 100 local hospitals across Taiwan. The platform works as a mobile application where patients can easily access their data and manage the referral process without the need to contact with nurses.

The Healthcare Blockchain Platform also functions as a one-stop network for the participating hospitals by eliminating the need to check various patient portals and thus streamlines healthcare services. The blockchain-based solution unites all patient data “including high-resolution medical images, lab results, and clinical and health exam information.”

“Using smart contracts, hospitals and clinics can request and authorize patient record sharing easily and securely,” Taipei Medical University Hospital said as quoted by Taipei Times newspaper.

The platform notification system and patient consent before each activity were among the reasons why the institution used blockchain technology, according to the university hospital’s superintendent Chen Ray-jade.

Healthcare Blockchain Platform is part of Taiwan’s government Hierarchical Medical System plan, which is designed to make healthcare services more efficient. As part of the Hierarchical Medical System, the National Health Insurance (NHI) system established a cloud-based medical records management platform in January.