NARRATIVE/SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS/META-ANALYSIS

Impact of Blockchain-Digital Twin Technology on Precision Health, Pharmaceutical Industry, and Life Sciences: Conference Proceedings, Conv2X 2023

Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, MD, EMBA1*symbol, Michael Mylrea, PhD1symbol, Christina Yan Zhang, PhD2symbol, Tyler-Cohen Wood3, Brian Thornley3

1University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA; 2The Metaverse Institute, London, UK; 3Supply Excellence, Innovation and Digital Strategy at MSD, Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA

Keywords: blockchain, clinical trials, cybersecurity, digital twins, ethics, healthcare, outcomes, pharmaceutical industry, supply chain

Abstract

The convergence of Digital Twin technologies with precision health, the pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences has garnered substantial recent attention. As we advance toward personalized medicine and precision health, the fusion of Digital Twin and blockchain technologies is poised to enhance healthcare outcomes fundamentally. This conference discussion highlighted pivotal drivers accelerating the adoption of Digital Twin-enabled blockchain solutions, encompassing the shift to a decentralized World Wide Web (Web 3.0), the establishment of a global interconnected health ecosystem, and the distinct advantages offered by converging frontier technologies in optimizing healthcare, pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences. Yet, the effective deployment of blockchain-powered Digital Twins in precision health necessitates robust cyber safety measures, proactive ethical frameworks, data validation, provenance assurance, streamlined supply chain management, and heightened interoperability. These proceedings underscored blockchain-powered Digital Twins’ pivotal role in reshaping health data management, security, sharing, ownership, and monetization and in revolutionizing pharmaceutical supply chain management and novel drugs and therapeutics development within the precision health domain.

 

Citation: Blockchain in Healthcare Today 2023, 6: 281 - https://doi.org/10.30953/bhty.v6.281

Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, adapt, enhance this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0.

Received: 04 September 2023; Accepted: 17 October 2023; Published: 07 November 2023

Funding Statement: No funding was received.

Financial and Non-Financial Relationships and Activities: No financial or non-financial disclosures.

*Corresponding Author: Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes. Email: ivfeltes@miami.edu

 

The rise of Digital Twin technologies has revolutionized various industries, offering unprecedented insights and optimization opportunities. Digital Twins have emerged as a powerful tool across diverse sectors, including healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences. According to the latest research, the worldwide Digital Twin market is projected to reach an impressive USD 140.76 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 27.29% and reflecting the escalating interest and investments in this transformative technology. Blockchain capabilities augmented with a full artificial intelligence (AI) portfolio of tools, including Digital Twin technology deployments in healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences, can significantly improve clinical outcomes and optimize the business of healthcare.

Conference Theme and Panel Scope

The conference’s theme centered on Advancing the Business of Health with Blockchain Technology. This panel discussion was dedicated to blockchain-powered Digital Twins, which have emerged as promising technologies with the potential to revolutionize various industries, including life sciences. However, their successful deployment comes with several challenges that must be addressed to unlock their transformative capabilities fully. The discussion covered primary challenges that need to be addressed to successfully implement blockchain-powered Digital Twin technologies in the healthcare ecosystem, specifically in healthcare, pharmaceutical industry, or precision health. Furthermore, the distinct blockchain capabilities that can enhance the impact of Digital Twin technologies, leading to improved outcomes and return on investment (ROI) in the healthcare ecosystem, encompassing healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, or precision health, were underscored.

Panel Discussion Summary

The initial discussion revolved around the challenges, capabilities, and opportunities of deploying blockchain-powered Digital Twin technologies in the healthcare ecosystem, including healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, particularly for managing the supply chain and laying the foundation for precision health. Cybersecurity emerged as a primary concern, with the need to safeguard sensitive patient data and protect against potential cyber threats. Ethical considerations and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations were also emphasized. Standardization efforts, interoperability protocol, and data governance were seen as essential to enable seamless data exchange and integration. Furthermore, the need for educating the workforce and mitigating the environmental impact of large-scale technology deployments was also underscored during the discussion.

The panel also addressed the unique blockchain capabilities and the impact on financial and clinical outcomes. The speakers shared their enthusiasm for the numerous opportunities blockchain-powered Digital Twins offer to further optimize the healthcare ecosystem, specifically enabling a patient-centric approach to healthcare, clinical trials, and the pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, the panelists highlighted the opportunity for seamless data exchange between different stakeholders, accelerating medical research and innovation.

Despite the ongoing challenges emphasized throughout the discussion, the combined technological capabilities of Blockchain and Digital Twin were highlighted by all speakers, underscoring the foundational role of precision health and the emergent precision pharmaceutical industry.

Key Panel Takeaways

Use Case Selection

Rigor in use case selection was emphasized as a significant challenge in deploying blockchain-powered Digital Twins in healthcare. Panelists discussed the importance of identifying suitable real-world problems that can genuinely benefit from these integrated technologies. To address use case selection rigorously, the panel suggested conducting comprehensive feasibility studies and rigorously assessing the potential risks of implementing blockchain-powered Digital Twins in specific healthcare or pharmaceutical industry scenarios.

Interoperability

Interoperability was identified as another critical challenge for data exchange among various healthcare systems and stakeholders. Panelists recognized the need to overcome technical and standardization barriers. Achieving interoperability requires adopting open standards and developing data exchange protocols that allow different systems to communicate effectively.

Patient-Empowerment

The concept of self-sovereignty for personal health data was highlighted as a transformative opportunity. Panelists discussed how blockchain can empower individuals to control access to their health information, fostering greater patient engagement and ownership. To achieve self-sovereignty, panelists suggested integrating blockchain with advanced digital identity systems.

Patient-Centricity

The panel reiterated the significance of a responsible, patient-centric approach in deploying blockchain-powered Digital Twins. Ensuring that patients’ needs, preferences, and rights are at the core of the technology’s implementation is crucial.

Ethics

Ensuring patient data privacy, consent, and secure data handling were recognized as critical challenges. To address these ethical concerns, the panel stressed the implementation of clear governance frameworks and compliance with data protection regulations.

Cybersecurity

Zero-trust cybersecurity emerged as a top priority. Panelists advocated for advanced encryption methods, multi-factor authentication, and continuous monitoring to enhance the security of blockchain-powered Digital Twins.

Net-Zero Optimization

Ongoing efforts are required to reduce further the negative environmental impact due to high energy consumption triggered by large-scale dual emerging technology deployments.

Industry Relevance and Latest Research Trends

The latest research trends validate the insights from the conference discussion and collectively highlight the transformative potential of blockchain technology in healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences. Most recent publications showcase applications ranging from clinical trials and supply chain management to personalized medicine and data security. As these technologies continue to evolve, they are likely to reshape the industry’s landscape and enhance patient care in unprecedented ways.

Simultaneously, recent research topics in the field of healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences have been greatly influenced by emerging technologies such as the blockchain, Digital Twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and 5G or 6G networks. These trends are reshaping how healthcare is managed and delivered, holding significant promise for enhancing patient outcomes, supply chain resilience, personalized medicine, and data security.

The Metaverse’s integration into healthcare and pharmaceuticals has been explored in a comprehensive review by Shetty and colleagues,1 highlighting the potential of this immersive virtual environment to transform patient care and medical education. Similarly, Ullah and colleagues2 delved into the applications, challenges, and future directions of utilizing Metaverse technology in healthcare.

Blockchain technology, known for its security and transparency features, has gained traction in the industry. Barenji and Hariry3 introduced a blockchain-enabled Digital Twin for improving the quality of clinical trials, enhancing data integrity and trial efficiency. The integration of blockchain and IoT has been studied by Chen and associates,4 exploring its role in ensuring pharmaceutical supply chain resilience in the post-pandemic era. Blockchain’s potential in healthcare privacy and security was reviewed by Gami and collaborators,5 who offered insights into preserving patient data while leveraging AI.

Digital Twins, virtual representations of physical entities, have found their way into healthcare. Turab and Jamil6 presented a survey highlighting Digital Twins applications in healthcare within the Metaverse context. Cellina and coworkers7 also pondered the possibilities of Digital Twins in personalized medicine, raising questions about their role in this evolving landscape. Networking technologies for human Digital Twins were examined by Chen and associates,8 who cast light on how personalized healthcare applications can benefit from advanced connectivity.

The convergence of AI and blockchain for intelligent healthcare was explored by Gaur and associates,9 who offered insights into privacy-preserving techniques. As evidenced by Kharche and Kharche,10 who discussed the potential role of 6G in shaping the intelligent healthcare landscape, future technology frameworks are also being considered. Kavitha and Manicka Chezian11 reviewed the impact of smart healthcare in the context of cyber-physical systems.

Moving toward biospecimen Digital Twins, Nanni and associates12 introduced the concept of transitioning from “high quality” to “fit-for-purpose” biospecimen collection in the era of omics sciences. Furthermore, the intersection of blockchain technology and sustainable smart cities is explored by Ullah and colleagues,13 who indicated the potential for transforming urban healthcare systems.

Future Directions

The speakers underscored the synergistic effects of a responsible dual deployment of these two technologies in the near future. From improving patient outcomes through precise interventions to enhancing drug development, clinical trials, or patient treatment pathways, their contributions revealed how dual deployment promises to revolutionize every aspect of the life-sciences industry. By leveraging the benefits of these two frontier technologies, healthcare, pharmaceutical industry, and life sciences teams could better understand individual health profiles, design personalized treatments, and predict patient responses more accurately.

Conclusions

Implementing blockchain-powered Digital Twins requires addressing challenges. Cybersecurity, ethics, interoperability, data validation, provenance, and cost optimization are crucial. By navigating these obstacles, blockchain-powered Digital Twins can reshape global health, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences.

Author Contributors

Each author contributed to the content of this article.

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Copyright Ownership: This is an open-access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, adapt, enhance this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0.