Journal Article

Design Choices and Trade-Offs in Health Care Blockchain Implementations: Systematic Review

Meinert, Edward, Vazirani, Anuraag A, O'Donoghue, Odhran, Brindley, David

2019

Overview

A blockchain is a list of records that uses cryptography to make stored data immutable; their use has recently been proposed for electronic medical record (EMR) systems. This paper details a systematic review of trade-offs in blockchain technologies that are relevant to EMRs. Trade-offs are defined as \"a compromise between two desirable but incompatible features.\" This review's primary research question was: \"What are the trade-offs involved in different blockchain designs that are relevant to the creation of blockchain-based electronic medical records systems?\" Seven databases were systematically searched for relevant articles using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Papers published from January 1, 2017 to June 15, 2018 were selected. Quality assessments of papers were performed using the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool and the Critical Assessment Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Database searches identified 2885 articles, of which 15 were ultimately included for analysis. A total of 17 trade-offs were identified impacting the design, development, and implementation of blockchain systems; these trade-offs are organized into themes, including business, application, data, and technology architecture. The key findings concluded the following: (1) multiple trade-offs can be managed adaptively to improve EMR utility; (2) multiple trade-offs involve improving the security of blockchain systems at the cost of other features, meaning EMR efficacy highly depends on data protection standards; and (3) multiple trade-offs result in improved blockchain scalability. Consideration of these trade-offs will be important to the specific environment in which electronic medical records are being developed. This review also uses its findings to suggest useful design choices for a hypothetical National Health Service blockchain. RR2-10.2196/10994.

• Publisher: Journal of Medical Internet Research,Gunther Eysenbach MD MPH, Associate Professor,JMIR Publications
• Subject: Analysis / Archives & records / Bias / Blockchain / Blockchain - standards / Computer Security - standards / Computerized medical records / Cryptography / Data integrity / Database searching / Efficacy / Electronic health records / Electronic Health Records - standards / Electronic records / Health behavior / Health Information Exchange - standards / Health services / Humans / Information technology / Internet/Web search services / Meaning / Medical decision making / Medical records / Meta-analysis / Online searching / Review / Systematic review / Technology