Blockchain technology for secure and efficient nephrology data management

Rapid advancements in digital healthcare technologies have created new opportunities in nephrology, but they have also increased the fragmentation of datasets, complexity of data sharing, data privacy and security risks, and a lack of data verifiability and reliability (provenance). While several technological solutions have been developed to address these concerns individually, blockchain has been suggested as a unified solution for secure and efficient data management through several features. These include immutability, interoperability, and programmability, which provide a powerful framework that extends the utility of blockchain beyond data governance in nephrology. Blockchain also has potential applications in pharmaceutical and biobanking quality assurance and in the reliability of medical devices through auditable maintenance logs, making it a promising candidate to address several challenges in patient care and nephrology research. Despite this promise, practical challenges arise between the features of blockchain, such as immutability, and legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Furthermore, the value of real-world adoption in nephrology remains uncertain due to scalability, computational overheads, and implementation costs that may outweigh its advantages in many settings.