Blockchain and "connected health" technology are two trends hospitals should not rush to adopt, according to two hospital innovation executives.
Discussions of blockchain have been increasingly prominent in the technology industry in recent years, and it shows potential for healthcare applications. However, it can be tricky for hospitals to figure out how to deploy the technology, Michelle Stansbury, vice president of IT innovation at Houston Methodist, told Becker's.
"With any emerging technology, it still has its drawbacks," she said. "We have been searching for the right use case to pilot in our organizations but have not found one yet."
Additionally, hospitals should ask questions before deploying "connected health" technology, said Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, chief innovation officer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
She said hospitals need to determine whether the technology is a regulated product and if it is, they must ensure FDA registration and approval are in place.
"Most recently we witnessed the example of a regulated product being marketed as a consumer product, to later receive a warning letter from the FDA to take the product off the market," Dr. Eskandanian said. "In the hype of digital health, Internet of Things, connected health, etc., hospitals must apply the utmost diligence to protect patients."