Early embodiment of blockchain seeks to prioritize patient benefits

Making patients the owners of and beneficiaries from their own data will be key to making blockchain technology deliver for healthcare as a whole, according to the theory behind a network that could convert siloed information into a connected driver of better research and outcomes.

The Embleema health blockchain and decentralized app promises to bring precision and transparency to the healthcare and clinical trials industry by allowing patients to consolidate, own and directly share their data with healthcare stakeholders, and receive compensation via cryptocurrency tokens for their involvement.

Embleema is built on the smart contract platform Ethereum and compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant blockchain. Its chief executive, former IMS Health senior vice president Robert Chu, sees it as the solution to the challenges associated with collection and safe sharing of real-world evidence (RWE), a data form that is becoming more and more important for drugmakers.