Affiliation:
1. The Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University
Abstract
Blockchain has emerged as a foundational technology primed to change how our world functions. There are multiple avenues for blockchain application from smart contracts, surgical billing, managing inventories, disease tracking real time, and health insurance claims. The value of blockchain is that anything and everything can have a unique identifier, be recorded, and tracked. Blockchain can unlock future growth and value with unmet efficiency and transparency by providing the foundation to be a system of record for all transactions. While full implementation remains years from realization, this article will define blockchain and discuss why orthopaedic surgeons and physicians should learn about blockchain along with future applications of this technology. The primary aim of this article is to highlight how this technology can be utilized to improve our understanding of surgical billing, supply chain in medical care, and introduce smart contracts.
Publisher
Charter Services New York d/b/a Journal of Orthopaedic Experience and Innovation
Reference18 articles.
1. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System;Satoshi Nakamoto
2. The Cost of Joint Replacement: Comparing Two Approaches to Evaluating Costs of Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty;John A. Palsis;Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery,2018
3. Waste in the US Health Care System: Estimated Costs and Potential for Savings;William H. Shrank;JAMA,2019
4. Data Breaches Expose 4.1 Billion Records In First Six Months Of 2019;Davey Winder;Forbes
5. Medicare and Medicaid Programs: CY 2020 Hospital Outpatient PPS Policy Changes and Payment Rates and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Policy Changes and Payment Rates. Price Transparency Requirements for Hospitals To Make Standard Charges Public;Federal Register,2019