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Blockchain in healthcare: A systematic literature review, synthesizing framework and future research agenda

This systematic literature review provides a comprehensive synthesis of blockchain applications in healthcare, categorizing existing research into distinct appl

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Abstract

This systematic literature review provides a comprehensive synthesis of blockchain applications in healthcare, categorizing existing research into distinct application domains such as clinical data management, pharmaceutical supply chain, and insurance. The authors perform a rigorous evaluation of the state of the art, mapping current academic discourse to a structured framework that identifies both the technical capabilities and the socio-technical limitations of implementing distributed ledger technology (DLT) in medical settings. By analyzing the landscape of peer-reviewed literature, the study highlights a prevailing trend toward research in data integrity and supply chain transparency. The authors conclude by articulating an evidence-based research agenda that prioritizes scalability, cross-institutional interoperability, and the alignment of DLT architectures with healthcare-specific regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR. This work is essential for researchers aiming to understand the current research trajectory and the gaps that remain between theoretical proposals and large-scale deployment. Authors: M. Agbo, Q. Mahmoud, J. Eklund Publication: Academic Paper Publication date: 2020-01-01

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Key findings

  • Existing research is heavily concentrated on data provenance and pharmaceutical supply chain integrity.
  • A lack of standardized governance models remains a primary hurdle for widespread blockchain adoption.
  • Scalability and regulatory compliance are the most critical challenges identified across studies.
  • Systematic synthesis suggests a shift toward hybrid architectures that combine public and private blockchain features.

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Citation

M. Agbo, Q. Mahmoud, J. Eklund (2020). Blockchain in healthcare: A systematic literature review, synthesizing framework and future research agenda. Academic Paper. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166361520305248
Canonical knowledge ID: research:blockchain-in-healthcare-a-systematic-literature-review-synthesizing-framework-and-future-research-agenda