The use of blockchain technology in the health sector is slowly gaining traction and according to a recent Forbes report, the technology will soon be used by a large number of Americans. The report states that the second-biggest health insurance firm in the United States, Anthem, is making plans to beef up the security of sensitive data it holds, using blockchain technology.
According to the report, the feature is currently in a pilot testing phase but will soon be ready and will be rolled out to “groups of members in the next few months.”
Speaking about the new feature at the 9th Annual Forbes Healthcare Summit which recently took place in New York, the company’s CEO Gail Boudreaux believes that blockchain will ensure complete trust. Boudreaux said:
“What blockchain potentially gives us the opportunity to do is not worry about those trust issues. We have an opportunity now to share data that people can make their own decisions on.”
The pilot test currently being run involves a controlled group that is already allowed to scan a QR code using a mobile app. This allows selected healthcare providers with controlled access over a specified amount of time, to the members’ health records. Anthem plans that in a maximum of three years, all of its 40 million members will have full access to it.
As more companies fall in line, a recent report from Global Market Insights research firm says that blockchain applications in health will hit $1.6 billion in 6 years.
Image Credits: Total Shape
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