Author: Stephani Stancil, PhD, APRN on March 25, 2022 
If you are like me and you had to Google what “blockchain” meant, this is the right blog (and article) for you.
Although a new concept to some of us, blockchain technology has been around for a while, particularly in banking and, more specifically, in cryptocurrency, where a decentralized permanent record of non-modifiable data is desired. Essentially, new data enters into a “block”. Once the block is full of data, it is closed, locked and chained to previous blocks in chronological order and unable to be modified or deleted. One way to think about it is like a roll of 35 mm film taken during a family vacation long ago. The film is like the “chain” and each photo frame is like a “block,” linked together in the order of the images (i.e., data) captured. Only in blockchain technology, the proverbial roll of film is permanent, inalterable, and available for anyone to see.
Young Huh and colleagues adapted and piloted blockchain technology in a decentralized clinical trial platform to facilitate rapid dissemination of protocol changes, efficient participant reconsenting and real-time monitoring of procedure adherence, all done remotely. Their article is intriguing and thought-provoking as we envision the future of clinical trials. Could blockchain technology be used to reduce barriers to clinical trial participation for those that have been historically underrepresented? Only time will tell.
Read more here.
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