Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

Fiore, Matteo; Capodici, Angelo; Rucci, Paola; Bianconi, Alessandro; Longo, Giulia; Ricci, Matteo; Sanmarchi, Francesco; Golinelli, Davide

doi:10.3390/app13020686

Open AccessReview

Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

by

Matteo Fiore

^†

,

Angelo Capodici

^†

,

Paola Rucci

^*,

Alessandro Bianconi

,

Giulia Longo

,

Matteo Ricci

,

Francesco Sanmarchi

^‡

and

Davide Golinelli

^‡

Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this article.

^‡

Both authors jointly directed this research.

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020686

Submission received: 25 November 2022 / Revised: 30 December 2022 / Accepted: 31 December 2022 / Published: 4 January 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods, Applications and Developments in Biomedical Informatics)

Download

Browse Figures

Versions Notes

Abstract

A supply chain (SC) is a network of interests, information, and materials involved in processes that produce value for customers. The implementation of blockchain technology in SC management in healthcare has had results. This review aims to summarize how blockchain technology has been used to address SC challenges in healthcare, specifically for drugs, medical devices (DMDs), and blood, organs, and tissues (BOTs). A systematic review was conducted by following the PRISMA guidelines and searching the PubMed and Proquest databases. English-language studies were included, while non-primary studies, as well as surveys, were excluded. After full-text assessment, 28 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Of these, 15 (54%) were classified as simulation studies, 12 (43%) were classified as theoretical, and only one was classified as a real case study. Most of the articles (n = 23, 82%) included the adoption of smart contracts. The findings of this systematic review indicated a significant but immature interest in the topic, with diverse ideas and methodologies, but without effective real-life applications.

Keywords: blockchain; distributed ledger; supply chain; healthcare; vaccines; medical device; solution; innovation

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Fiore, M.; Capodici, A.; Rucci, P.; Bianconi, A.; Longo, G.; Ricci, M.; Sanmarchi, F.; Golinelli, D. Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 686. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020686

AMA Style

Fiore M, Capodici A, Rucci P, Bianconi A, Longo G, Ricci M, Sanmarchi F, Golinelli D. Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review. Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(2):686. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020686

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fiore, Matteo, Angelo Capodici, Paola Rucci, Alessandro Bianconi, Giulia Longo, Matteo Ricci, Francesco Sanmarchi, and Davide Golinelli. 2023. "Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review" Applied Sciences 13, no. 2: 686. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020686

APA Style

Fiore, M., Capodici, A., Rucci, P., Bianconi, A., Longo, G., Ricci, M., Sanmarchi, F., & Golinelli, D. (2023). Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review. Applied Sciences, 13(2), 686. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020686

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI