Blockchain technology in Cardiovascular Medicine: a glance to the future? Results from a social media survey and future perspectives.

Luigi Spadafora, Gian L Comandini, Salvatore Giordano, Alberto Polimeni, Francesco Perone, Pierre Sabouret, Martina Leonetti, Stefano Cacciatore, Michele Cacia, Matteo Betti, Marco Bernardi, Francesca R Zimatore, Federico Russo, Adelaide Iervolino, Giovanni Aulino, Alessia Moscardelli

Journal: Minerva cardiology and angiology 2024;72(1):1-10

PMID: 37971710

Full Text on Minerva Medica View on PubMed

Abstract

The leverage of digital facilities in medicine for disease diagnosis, monitoring, and medical history recording has become increasingly pivotal. However, the advancement of these technologies poses a significant challenge regarding data privacy, given the highly sensitive nature of medical information. In this context, the application of Blockchain technology, a digital system where information is stored in blocks and each block is linked to the one before, has the potential to enhance existing technologies through its exceptional security and transparency. This paradigm is of particular importance in cardiovascular medicine, where the prevalence of chronic conditions leads to the need for secure remote monitoring, secure data storage and secure medical history updating. Indeed, digital support for chronic cardiovascular pathologies is getting more and more crucial. This paper lays its rationale in three primary aims: 1) to scrutinize the existing literature for tangible applications of blockchain technology in the field of cardiology; 2) to report results from a survey aimed at gauging the reception of blockchain technology within the cardiovascular community, conducted on social media; 3) to conceptualize a web application tailored specifically to cardiovascular care based on blockchain technology. We believe that Blockchain technology may contribute to a breakthrough in healthcare digitalization, especially in the field of cardiology; in this context, we hope that the present work may be inspiring for physicians and healthcare stakeholders.

Address: Department of Clinical, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy - [email protected].; Department of Engineering, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy.; Department of Economics and Law, University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy.; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.; Division of Cardiology, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy.; Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Villa delle Magnolie Rehabilitation Clinic, Castel Morrone, Caserta, Italy.; Heart Institute and Action Group, Pitié-Salpétrière, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.; National College of French Cardiologists, Paris, France.; Sacred Heart Catholic University, Rome, Italy.; Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Rome, Italy.; Cardiology Unit, A.O.U. Renato Dulbecco, Catanzaro, Italy.; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.; Cardiovascular Section, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.; Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, Italy.; Department of Clinical, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.; Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.; Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy.; Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, IRCCS A. Gemelli University Polyclinic Foundation, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Rome, Italy.; Private practitioner, Teramo, Italy.

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5683.23.06457-8

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Blockchain, Social Media, Medical Records, Privacy, Technology