During the pandemic many patients began using telehealth services in order to receive care while also complying with stay at home orders. Telehealth is the subset of healthcare that is provided online through remote doctors appointments or private messaging. The problem with telehealth though is that with so much information being shared remotely, patients are vulnerable to their information being compromised by third parties. In order to solve this issue, many telehealth providers are encouraging patients to begin using non- fungible tokens. Let’s look at how blockchain and health can work together.

NFTs and Health

Non-fungible tokens are used to show ownership over a digital piece of information. In the medical field, patients can use NFTs in order to prove that they are the owners of their data which can be beneficial for both them and providers. Providers can be sure that they are working with a patient’s real data rather than with stolen or compromised information and they can be sure they are providing the best care for that individual. Having proof of ownership also makes cases of identity theft less likely for patients since third parties will not be able to pass the information off as their own.

In regards to third parties, patients can benefit from NFTs by choosing to sell their information. Instead of their information being hacked and stolen, patients can consent to who has their information and sell it for a profit. This system allows for patients to have the most control over their data which should increase the confidence they have that their data is secure. 

When data breaches occur, providers lose the trust of their patients which can have many negative consequences. Implementing the use of NFTs in healthcare erases some of the problems that lead to this distrust. This system allows for patients to have increased control over their data and takes the stress away from providers who usually don’t know enough about cybersecurity to be faulted with data breaches. Patient data security is prioritized with the use of NFTs and that is what needs to be done in a time where data breaches are rising in frequency. 

Learn more about how blockchain and health go hand in hand in the visual deep dive below: