Explore the Role of AI and Blockchain in Healthcare 4.0

The significant advancements in the healthcare sector have given rise to a new industry era led by powerful technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Healthcare 4.0 is relatively a new term that is gaining the interest of several researchers around the world. This new paradigm is driven by data, technologies & interoperability and aims to streamline healthcare operations and provide personalized care. It offers numerous new possibilities to build a more efficient healthcare system for which medical providers strive. This blog post covers the concept of Healthcare 4.0 and gives you insight into the transformative potential of AI and Blockchain Healthcare Solutions

Evolution of Healthcare

The healthcare sector is poised to adopt new innovations to provide quality care service to patients and enhance domain efficiency. These innovations are divided into distinct revolutions that are briefly explained below and presented in the figure.

• Healthcare 1.0: The first healthcare revolution, known as Healthcare 1.0 emphasized maximizing service efficiency and minimizing bureaucracy. In this revolution, automation was first introduced with the incorporation of administrative systems. 
• Healthcare 2.0: Besides boosting domain efficiency, the motive of the second healthcare revolution was to enhance data exchange. The information sharing was not only focused on one institution but also on a group of related healthcare organizations.
• Healthcare 3.0: The Healthcare 3.0 revolution emphasized proactive care and guaranteed preventative treatment prior to the beginning of an illness or disease symptoms. Technologies like big data analytics, wearables powered by the Internet of Things, and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) gained huge popularity in this revolution.
• Healthcare 4.0: The proactive care in Healthcare 3.0 was a more patient-centric approach rather than a hospital-centric approach. Healthcare 4.0 emphasizes a hospital-centric approach that results in patient empowerment as well as develops cost-effective and mobile healthcare ecosystems. This revolution is dedicated to cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, AI and Blockchain in healthcare to provide high-quality care.

Key Technologies of Healthcare 4.0

Healthcare 4.0 includes several technologies such as IoT, CPS, Cloud Computing, Fog Computing, AI and Blockchain in healthcare that empower stakeholders and patients with greater reliability, convenience, and transparency. The below figure represents key technologies of Healthcare 4.0:

• Cyber-physical Systems: These systems interconnect the physical and virtual world. CPSs provide a platform that helps develop positive communication between clinicians, patients, and health personnel. 
• Internet of Things: IoT is a revolutionary technology in healthcare that connects to the internet and medical devices in order to collect information for testing, evaluating, and treating patients. 
• Cloud Computing: This technology aims to provide various computing services over network media. Cloud computing services in healthcare are used for data computation with the help of third-party centers. It also promotes efficient patient and hospital data storage. 
• Fog Computing: Cloud computing alone is not the only solution as it has drawbacks such as delays and low real-time response. In order to improve services, healthcare also utilizes fog computing to offer quality services in a delay-sensitive environment. 
• AI & Machine Learning: The healthcare sector also focuses on artificial intelligence to examine medical data. This technology gathers data and gives the patients and doctors the demarcated output. From personalized medicines to drug development, patient monitoring to diagnosis, AI enhances healthcare efficiency. 
• Blockchain: Blockchain is a distributed public ledger technology that is secured by a peer-to-peer network and records transactions without the need for centralized authority. Today, several organizations are developing Blockchain healthcare solutions for improved patient care, data security, and streamlined processes. 

The Role of AI and Blockchain in Healthcare 4.0 

Blockchain: The Foundation of Trust & Security

Blockchain has emerged as a groundbreaking technology that helps address the long-standing challenges of the healthcare industry. The following are the key attributes of Blockchain –

• Data Security: Safeguarding the patient’s health data is imperative and this is where Blockchain technology comes to play. The decentralized ledger of Blockchain reduces the risk of data breaches by storing the patient’s sensitive data securely in the ledger. 
• Interoperability: Sharing and accessing patient records in the traditional healthcare system is challenging. Blockchain healthcare solutions enable seamless data sharing across different healthcare providers and institutions while maintaining data integrity. 
• Patient Control: Blockchain provides patients full control over their medical records. The technology only allows the authorized parties to view and access patient information, which boosts patient privacy and consent management. 
• Streamline Processes: Blockchain streamlines administrative tasks, such as insurance claims that can be managed with smart contracts. It reduces the chances of errors, expedites the process, and cuts down the administrative costs. 

AI: The Smart Technology

Artificial Intelligence (particularly machine learning and deep learning algorithms) is one of the key technologies in Healthcare 4.0 that offers a number of benefits:

• Personalized Medicine: AI technology works smartly as it can personalize the treatment depending on the patient’s medical history, genetics, and overall lifestyle. Such an approach leads to treatment effectiveness and minimizes the side effects. 
• Diagnosis and Prediction: AI algorithms have the ability to analyze patient records, clinical data, and medical images, which enables the early detection of diseases and predict patient outcomes. 
• Virtual Health Assistants: Virtual assistants such as chatbots are 24*7 available to answer patient queries, provide guidance, set reminders for medications, monitor chronic conditions, and schedule appointments. 
• Drug Discovery: AI has the power to sift through huge datasets, identify potential drug candidates, and predict their efficacy. The technology enables the development of effective medications. 

How Blockchain AI Duo Empowers Healthcare 4.0 Ecosystem?

The real magic happens when the two powerful technologies Blockchain and AI are seamlessly integrated into the healthcare ecosystem. The following are the ways AI and Blockchain healthcare solutions can empower this ecosystem:

• Data Security and Privacy: Blockchain ensures data privacy and integrity, whereas AI utilizes this data for valuable insights. These technologies foster the trust among patients that their information is protected and can be used for their benefit. 
• Reduced Costs: The duo of AI and Blockchain in healthcare eliminates intermediaries intervention, reduces administrative tasks, and prevents errors that significantly lower healthcare costs and help provide quality care. 
• Research and Clinical Trials: AI-driven insights stored on the Blockchain speed up the research and analysis processes and boost the efficiency of clinical trials. Researchers can easily access valuable and diverse datasets without compromising data privacy. 
• Real-time Monitoring: The patient data collected through IoT sensors and wearable devices can easily be stored on Blockchain. AI further analyzes this data in real time, enabling personalized treatment adjustments. 
• Patient Engagement: AI-powered chatbots help patients get answers to their queries, while Blockchain stores the generated results for further improvement analysis. 

Final Words

The AI and Blockchain in healthcare integration enable medical service providers, patients, and stakeholders to step into the Healthcare 4.0 ecosystem that offers a number of benefits, such as improved data security, interoperability, patient engagement, reduced costs, real-time monitoring, and many more. This technology duo holds the potential to revolutionize the healthcare sector and make it more patient-centric, secure, and data-driven. Although regulatory and ethical considerations will be there while implementing AI and Blockchain in healthcare, the future is making way for these technologies. 

Technology companies like Antier are already developing Blockchain healthcare solutions and spreading awareness regarding several Blockchain use cases in healthcare. Antier is a leading Blockchain development company with sheer expertise in building robust solutions to empower healthcare businesses and drive better patient outcomes. We at Antier are not limited to Blockchain as we are stepping into the world of AI. If you are interested in learning more about us and our services, schedule your call with our consultant today!