Could Blockchain Help With COVID-19 Crisis?

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Distributed Ledger Technology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted global health service vulnerabilities.
• Distributed ledger technology, specifically blockchain, is increasingly recognized for its potential in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of blockchain solutions for combating COVID-19 in healthcare.
• To analyze the benefits and challenges associated with these blockchain applications.
• To propose a framework for guiding future research in this domain.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of existing blockchain applications in healthcare related to COVID-19.
• Analysis of reported benefits, challenges, and use cases.
• Development of a conceptual framework based on the reviewed literature.

Main Results:

• Identified various blockchain applications in areas such as data management, supply chain integrity, and patient privacy during the pandemic.
• Highlighted benefits including enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency.
• Documented challenges related to scalability, interoperability, and regulatory compliance.

Conclusions:

• Blockchain technology presents significant potential to address critical issues in healthcare during pandemics like COVID-19.
• Further research and development are needed to overcome existing challenges and fully leverage blockchain's capabilities in public health.
• The proposed framework can guide future investigations into optimizing blockchain for pandemic response and healthcare resilience.