Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic is looking for ways to store patient data on blockchain, a decentralized, digital ledger that promises enhanced security, and the provider has signed a joint working agreement with the London-based startup Medicalchain.
Medicialchain uses blockchain to hold patient health records, which lets physicians from different organizations request access to an EHR and record that activity on a distributed ledger.
Under the agreement, Medicalchain and Mayo will explore various potential benefits of blockchain in healthcare.
"We are thrilled to be working with Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic will provide their world-class healthcare and health IT expertise, while Medicalchain will provide our knowledge of blockchain and crypto," said Dr. Abdullah Albeyatti, CEO of Medicialchain. "Together we will work on several use cases using blockchain based electronic health records. There’s a lot of opportunity out there, and we feel this working agreement will be of benefit to all healthcare stakeholders."
Blockchain first proved to be revolutionary in the financial services industry after gaining notoriety as the underlying technology for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.