Founded by Mark Roudnitsky, formerly of Epic, a company familiar to anyone working in the EHR space, HealthHeart’s leadership team seems tailor-made for marrying blockchain and patient data safely and securely. To go with his IT and software bona fides, he has assembled a core team with experience in either tech innovation or healthcare. Rather than focusing solely on the IT security part of the project, however, HealthHeart has brought in practicing physicians to advise on user experience and provide professional insight into how the final product will be used. There is no better way to fill a need than work directly with those who have it.
The Nuts And Bolts
HealthHeart is built on Ethereum’s stable and much-used platform. This is common of many blockchain applications, as it keeps them from having to reinvent the wheel to get started. Each patient is given a unique indicator that is part of their Ethereum address. This indicator not only serves to identify the patient to the system but restrict access to approved parties for approved information. While the nuts and bolts of the HealthHeart software are proprietary, this is an elegant solution HIPAA’s mandate to provide the minimum amount of information necessary for treatment.On the user side of things, the HealthHeart platform appears fairly intuitive to any practitioner familiar with EHR software as it exists currently. There is support for both clinic laptops as well as mobile support that will work well with today’s increasingly connected and on-the-go patients. While all that is available to the public currently are mock-ups, the system is easily consistent with current technology and design trends.
The Breakdown
Pros
- HealthHeart attempts to fill a vital need. Both providers and patients are ready for more effective medical security.
- In the wake of Bitcoin’s soaring prices leading up to the now aborted SegWit2x hard fork, the public has never been more aware of blockchain technology, albeit primarily as an investment instrument. This public sentiment could help drive adoption.
- As an investment, there is still time to get in while the bonuses are good. HealthHeart’s pre-crowdsale began in October, but the crowdsale is expected to run until the end of the year.
Risks
- While the HealthHeart team looks amazing, there have been several high-profile security events in blockchains based on Ethereum recently. No doubt their security personnel are closely monitoring the developments and evaluating how it would affect their products and users.
- Adoption may need more than public opinion. Physicians tend toward conservative views, after all, it’s their practice on the line if a new EHR system exposes their patients.
- As with any ICO, there is the potential for failure to deliver, both as a product and an investment. In HeartHealth’s case, however, they have gone above and beyond when deciding who to include in the development of their system. The common red flags, such as unknown and untested individuals, sketchy addresses, or poorly rendered marketing, are all absent.
Another Tool For Doctors And Blockchain Proponents
HealthHeart looks like a nicely packaged, well-planned EHR offering for medical providers. It also gives blockchain another opportunity to show the public exactly how much this still-emerging technology can do for the betterment of society.
