TY - JOUR
T1 - Applications of Blockchain Technology in Clinical Trials
T2 - Review and Open Challenges
AU - Omar, Ilhaam A.
AU - Jayaraman, Raja
AU - Salah, Khaled
AU - Yaqoob, Ibrar
AU - Ellahham, Samer
N1 - Funding Information:
This publication is based upon work supported by the Khalifa University of Science and Technology under Award No. CIRA-2019-001.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - Blockchain technology has disclosed unprecedented opportunities in the healthcare sector by unlocking the true value of interoperability. Specifically, the striking features of blockchain technology, such as data provenance, transparency, decentralized transaction validation, and immutability, can help to compensate for stringent data management issues (e.g., patient recruitment, persistent monitoring, data management, and data analytics and accurate reporting) in clinical trials (CTs). Although several research studies show that blockchain solutions help to improve patient retention, data integrity, privacy and ensure CTs compliance with regulatory policies, a comprehensive survey on this topic is lacking. In this survey, we provide insights into the adoption of blockchain technology in CTs. We categorize and classify the literature by devising a meticulous taxonomy of the decentralized tasks of CT and practices based on indispensable parameters. Furthermore, we provide insights on works in progress toward deploying blockchain solutions in CTs. Finally, we identify and discuss several challenges that hinder the successful implementation of blockchain technologies in CTs.
AB - Blockchain technology has disclosed unprecedented opportunities in the healthcare sector by unlocking the true value of interoperability. Specifically, the striking features of blockchain technology, such as data provenance, transparency, decentralized transaction validation, and immutability, can help to compensate for stringent data management issues (e.g., patient recruitment, persistent monitoring, data management, and data analytics and accurate reporting) in clinical trials (CTs). Although several research studies show that blockchain solutions help to improve patient retention, data integrity, privacy and ensure CTs compliance with regulatory policies, a comprehensive survey on this topic is lacking. In this survey, we provide insights into the adoption of blockchain technology in CTs. We categorize and classify the literature by devising a meticulous taxonomy of the decentralized tasks of CT and practices based on indispensable parameters. Furthermore, we provide insights on works in progress toward deploying blockchain solutions in CTs. Finally, we identify and discuss several challenges that hinder the successful implementation of blockchain technologies in CTs.
KW - Blockchain
KW - Clinical trials
KW - Data management
KW - Ethereum
KW - Healthcare
KW - Smart contracts
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092612794&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s13369-020-04989-3
DO - 10.1007/s13369-020-04989-3
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85092612794
SN - 2193-567X
VL - 46
SP - 3001
EP - 3015
JO - Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering
JF - Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering
IS - 4
ER -