Medical Students' Perceptions of a Blockchain-Based Decentralized Work History and Credentials Portfolio: Qualitative...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Blockchain Technology

Background:

• Digitization in healthcare can erode traditional trust mechanisms.
• VerifyMed is a decentralized service for work history and competence verification.
• It aims to enhance trust in virtual patient-caregiver interactions and reduce administrative tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• Validate the use case for a decentralized credentials service for Norwegian healthcare professionals.
• Evaluate the proof-of-concept for VerifyMed, a blockchain-based credentialing system.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach using 9 semistructured interviews and 2 focus groups.
• System Usability Scale (SUS) incorporated into interviews.
• Systematic text condensation for data analysis until data saturation.

Main Results:

• Identified 5 key themes: aggregated verification storage, trust in virtual healthcare, patient feedback potential, trust in blockchain, and VerifyMed concept improvements.
• The System Usability Scale (SUS) score was 69.7.
• Study validated the need for decentralized credential management.

Conclusions:

• A decentralized system empowers healthcare professionals to control their credentials and reputation.
• The VerifyMed system requires updates based on user feedback.
• Decentralized storage of verifiable credentials can bolster trust in virtual healthcare systems.