Consent by blockchain: how does it work?

Blockchain is a promising technology that is attracting attention from a wide variety of industries. What applications can it have in the field of medical consent? And what guarantees does it offer?

 What is blockchain?

The blockchain, which appeared in 2008, is a technology for storing and transmitting information. As its name suggests, it is a chain of blocks that brings together all the transactions made in the system. Its innovative nature lies in the fact that it operates without a central control body. Its users, connected in network, share data without intermediary.

The best-known use of blockchain is to ensure the security of crypto-currencies. These virtual currencies are exchanged in an encrypted and decentralized way via the blockchain.

But the fields of application of blockchain are far from being limited to cryptocurrency! It can also be used to create all types of "smart contracts". Like a traditional contract, a smart contract defines the rules of an agreement between several parties and goes even further by freezing these rules in the blockchain and ensuring the transfer of an asset when the contractual conditions are verified. Each person involved uses an individual key, unique to them, to identify themselves and interact with the blockchain. Their actions are recorded in the blockchain, making them tamper-proof.

BLOCKCHAIN AND COLLECTION OF CONSENT: WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?

The collection of consent is an essential prerequisite for most health data processing or care act. 

However, this process is generally far from being optimized, both for patients and healthcare professionals. One of the major problems is the lack of traceability and reliability of proof of consent, even as regulations are tightened.

Using blockchain technology, it becomes possible to collect patient consent more efficiently. An organization such as DrData can set up secure smart contracts between data controllers and patients, allowing patients to give, withhold or change their consent to the use of their data.

The benefits of smart contracts applied to consent are multiple:

• Ensure traceability of consents through access control and pseudonymization of patient identity

• Guarantee the immutability of consents, since the data exchanged on the blockchain cannot be modified or deleted

• Make it easier for patients to change their consent if they wish, by simplifying the process

• Build trust and engagement with patients

Blockchain and smart contracts: efficient technologies to collect patient consent reliably and transparently!