Abstract
As life sciences research becomes increasingly focused on patient-centered technologies that allow for remote participation and greater access, distributed ledger technologies (“blockchain”) are being developed to address these needs. Blockchain-based applications range from basic functions, such as securing electronic data with audit trails, to honoring research participants’ informed consent for secondary uses of their data, and to the advanced features of aggregating data on a single platform for sophisticated machine learning, and hundreds of examples in between. There are many questions, however, about the best uses of blockchain and implementation strategies for life sciences research. This chapter introduces uses of blockchain for life sciences research and offers ethical, regulatory, and practical considerations for implementation. Recommendations are pertinent for blockchain developers, researchers, and life sciences organizations considering blockchain solutions for their research.
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Charles, W.M. (2021). Accelerating Life Sciences Research with Blockchain. In: Namasudra, S., Deka, G.C. (eds) Applications of Blockchain in Healthcare. Studies in Big Data, vol 83. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9547-9_9
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