Blockchain, an emerging technology, is coming to the world of health care. Three recently established startups are finding unique ways to apply it to the space.
A little-understood technology — blockchain — is becoming the new frontier in several industries. Recent research from CB Insights found the technology is impacting sectors from real estate to ride sharing to law enforcement.
Healthcare is no exception.
Blockchain, the distributed ledger tech behind digital currencies like Bitcoin, has already emerged as a means to improve cybersecurity and interoperability. But amidst all the macro-level talk, three blockchain-centric companies are applying the technology to much-needed areas.
YouBase is looking at the blockchain horizon through a consumer-specific lens. The Denver, Colorado-based company was founded by Leonard Kish, Josh Robinson and cardiologist and digital evangelist Dr. Eric Topol with the goal of giving patients power over their health data.
“YouBase really started with the idea that people don’t control enough of the data about themselves,” Kish, who also serves as CEO, said in a recent phone interview. “The goal is that ultimately, individuals can share data across applications how they want to.”
In an article published in Nature Biotechnology in 2015, Kish and Topol wrote about that very objective. Calling patients “unpatients,” they advocated for individuals’ rights to own their medical data.
“People connecting over information to create value and share assets has been the story of our economy for the past 20 years,” they concluded. “So, too, will it be with sharing and leveraging medical data in the next 20 years.”
The next year, YouBase was born.
More: Three blockchain companies you should know – MedCity News
