Blockchain

Health Management Glossary

Digital Health and AI

Definition. A blockchain is a distributed ledger in which records are grouped into blocks that are cryptographically linked, so that past entries cannot be changed without the agreement of the network.

Explanation

The technology was introduced with the Bitcoin system (Nakamoto, 2008) to allow transactions without a central authority. Its key properties are decentralisation, immutability of records and transparency of the transaction history, and smart contracts allow rules to be executed automatically.

Agbo, Mahmoud and Eklund (2019) review proposed health care uses such as sharing of records, consent management, supply chain tracking of medicines and audit trails for research data. Most applications remain at the prototype stage, and questions of scalability, energy use, data protection and the need for a blockchain rather than a conventional database are often unresolved.

Related concepts

Interoperability Cybersecurity Electronic health record (EHR) Digital transformation

Read on The Health Topics

• Lean Six Sigma and Blockchain for Quality Management
• Blockchain Healthcare Systems: Security, Chaincode, and EHR Performance
• Digital Technology in Healthcare: Efficacy and Pitfalls
• Digital Twins in Healthcare:The Technology That Wants to Clone You — Virtually
• Digital Healthcare: Progress and Applications
• Artificial Intelligence Sovereignty in the Health Sector: A Systematic Review of the Multi-Layered Governance Geography Based on 118 Web of Science Publications

References

Agbo, C. C., Mahmoud, Q. H., & Eklund, J. M. (2019). Blockchain technology in healthcare: A systematic review. Healthcare, 7(2), 56.

Nakamoto, S. (2008). Bitcoin: A peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Blockchain. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/blockchain/

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