Dataset Information

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

ABSTRACT:

Background

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."

Objective

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?"

Methods

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.

Results

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.

Conclusions

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.

International registered report identifier (irrid)

RR2-10.2196/10994.

SUBMITTER: O'Donoghue O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6533871 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

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

O'Donoghue Odhran O Vazirani Anuraag A AA Brindley David D Meinert Edward E

Journal of medical Internet research 20190510 5

<h4>Background</h4>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."<h4>Objective</h4>This review's primary research question was: "What are the trade-offs involved in different block ...[more]

PMID: 31094344

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Dataset Information

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

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

International registered report identifier (irrid)

Publications

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

Similar Datasets

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