Assessing the potential use of blockchain technology to improve the sharing of public health data in a western Canadian province

Abstract

This exploratory, qualitative study set out to identify the encountered and perceived barriers to public health (PH) data sharing in a Canadian province with a view to assessing blockchain technology as a potential solution. A topic guide was developed, based on previous research in the area. This was then utilised for ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews with PH professionals between 27 May and 18 June 2019. Each stage of research was congruent with the philosophical underpinning of Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenology. The major themes that emerged from the data collected were related to the information systems in use, data quality and ownership, as well as client identity management. The recurring core theme throughout all interviews was related to ineffective leadership and management, contributing to each major theme. Overwhelmingly the results show that the majority of barriers faced in this province are human-related. It is concluded that while blockchain technology shows promise for enhancing data sharing in healthcare, it is still many years away from being implemented in this Canadian province. As the results of this study indicate, there are human related barriers that could be addressed in the meantime, which are outside the scope of a technical solution. Future work should explore the perspectives of other stakeholders, such as the provincial government to fully understand the potential for using blockchain to share PH data in this province.

A Systematic Review on the Adoption of Blockchain Technology in the Healthcare Industry

“…Toplevel management must be addressed in terms of data integrity, verification, validation, and the generating of value at a rapid rate as a result of BC implementation. Also, the key challenges include a lack of data integrity and trust, as well as a lack of readiness to use BCT [46] [42] [43].…”

“…Many nations are still hesitant to use BCT owing to a lack of appropriate legislation [47]. Uncertainty about BCT regulatory issues causes stakeholders to be hesitant, which serves as a barrier to properly implementing this technology [43] [45] [46]. Some of the problems that directly impact BCT adoption and deployment are management scalability, a lack of standardization, insufficient government rules, legal concerns, and a lack of an active regulatory board [47] [9].…”

“…No of studies % Source Privacy 10 83.33% [9], [14], [38]- [43], [46], [47] Government Regulation & Policies 8 66.67% [9], [14], [38], [40], [43], [45]- [47] Trust 7 58.33% [9], [38], [39], [42]- [45] Security 6 50.00% [9], [14], [38], [42]- [44] Cost 5 41.67% [14], [38], [44], [45], [47] BCT Knowledge/ Awareness 5 41.67% [14], [39]- [41], [45] Perceived Benefits / Relative Advantage 4 33.33% [42]- [45] Robustness/ Efficiency/Quality of BCT Systems 3 25.00% [41], [46], [47] Access Control/ Accessibility 3 25.00% [38], [46], [47] Interoperability /Compatibility 3 25.00% [38], [46], [47] Complexity 3 25.00% [14], [43], [45] Organizational Readiness 3 25.00% [9],...…”

Unveiling Roadblocks and Mapping Solutions for Blockchain Adoption by Governments: A Systematic Literature Review

“…While BC can address trust issues, ensuring the accuracy and prevention of incorrect or manipulated data input pose ongoing difficulties, particularly in sectors like waste management and land registration (Majumdar et al, 2020;Song et al, 2022). Furthermore, blockchain's inability to safeguard against data from untrustworthy sources and its potential to store low-quality or inaccurate data have significant implications, particularly in government contexts where transparent data remain paramount (Clavin et al, 2020;Murphy et al, 2021). Additional barriers involve ensuring the accuracy of data provided by businesses and protecting user privacy, as intentional misinformation and vulnerability to privacy breaches are pressing concerns in the implementation of BCT (S. Alam et al, 2021;Alsaed et al, 2021;Shahaab et al, 2023).…”

“…(Baharmand et al, 2021;Danwar et al, 2022;Farooque et al, 2020;Luthra et al, 2022;Prux et al, 2021;Rana et al, 2022;Shahaab et al, 2023). Insufficient stakeholder engagement, weak leadership, and scepticism towards BCT further hinder progress (Alnafrah & Mouselli, 2021;Farooque et al, 2020;Jattan et al, 2020;Khan et al, 2022;Murphy et al, 2021). The commitment and support of decision-makers remain essential in reshaping institutional structures and operational mechanisms as political will and influence also play a role, as observed in South Africa's government organisations (Ramazhamba & Venter, 2023).…”