Scientific research paper shows: Blockchain technology can improve transparency and credibility of medical science

A blockchain timestamping protocol could improve the credibility of medical science, according to a recently published peer-reviewed paper.

The paper's authors, Greg Irvine and Dr. John Holden , used a low-cost, independently verifiable blockchain approach to provide a proof-of-concept study that could be easily used to audit and verify scientific research.

“Results switching, data mining, and selective publishing are all issues that can undermine the integrity of published research.”

A large amount of information is generated during clinical trials, much of which is used by regulators during the drug licensing evaluation process. In the UK, the Science and Technology Committee exists to ensure that government policies and decisions are based on good scientific advice and evidence.

A 2013 report by the Committee on Science and Technology states that clinical trials are the experimental basis on which modern medicine is built. Irvine and Holden cite:

“Clinical trials also make a significant contribution to the UK economy, giving patients access to the most exciting and innovative new treatments before they become available.”

The focus of the committee's investigation report is the transparency of clinical trials.

"We believe that relevant information from these trials should be shared in a way that is accessible, assessable, understandable and usable."

Participants in the survey broadly supported greater trial transparency, noting that it could have a number of benefits, such as enforcing basic ethical standards, improving patient outcomes and strengthening scientific knowledge. It was generally agreed that greater transparency of trial data would lead to greater public trust in medical research.

Dr Margaret McCartney , a GP and medical writer, told the committee that in the past a lack of transparency meant she might not have confidence that "patients participating in clinical trials would not be harmed".

INVOLVE, the national advisory group on public participation in research, believes there needs to be "greater openness and transparency" in the publication and accessibility of research results if the public is to trust and have confidence in clinical trials.

However, the problem is not limited to the UK, nor is it a recent one. At the Ministerial Summit on Health Research in 2004, participants called on the World Health Organization to promote the establishment of an “international network of clinical trial registries to ensure a single point of access and clear identification of trials”.

The proposal was further expanded at the 58th World Health Assembly in 2005, calling on the global scientific community, international partners, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to establish a volunteer platform connecting clinical trial registries to ensure a single point of access and clear identification of trials, thereby improving access to clinical information for patients, families, patient groups and others.

In 2006, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) was established. This global project aims to make all human clinical trial information publicly available.

Six years later, the World Health Organization released international standards for clinical trial registries. The mission of the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform is to ensure that all those involved in medical decision-making have access to a complete view of research.

“Such a move will increase transparency and ultimately strengthen the validity of research and the value of the scientific evidence base.”

Despite the creation of numerous trial registries, Irving and Holden state in their paper:

"Problems like discrepancies between predetermined and reported results still exist."

"Scientific research has no value to readers and to those who are influenced by it if readers doubt its credibility. -- Irving and Holden"

Rebecca Lawrence, Managing Director of F1000 Group, said:

“The medical research community has been severely damaged by medical malpractice, and the blockchain approach proposed in this paper provides a timely and much-anticipated solution.”

The proof-of-concept described in the paper used a copy of a clinicaltrials.gov study agreement, which is a plain text file. The text of the document was put into a SHA256 calculator, providing a SHA256 digest that was then converted into a Bitcoin private key, the corresponding public key, and a Bitcoin wallet called Strongcoin.

The proof-of-concept used a research protocol. Irving and Holden said:

“Blockchain would not be limited to validation of clinical trials; this approach could be used for a range of observational and experimental studies.”

The UK government has repeatedly stated its desire to work with cutting-edge private sector organisations, financial technology companies and academic institutions to encourage the development of the industry.

Rosie Jessop, head of security at the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at the Government Digital Service, said in the government announcement:

“We have been exploring how governments can use blockchain as a foundation for future technology dissemination.”

The government held its first blockchain partnership event in late April, bringing together industry, academic institutions and government to discuss how blockchain can be applied to public services.

“It’s important that we don’t just talk in isolation about how this technology can impact government agencies internally. In the UK we are lucky to have a lot of great people working on blockchain technology. We want to take advantage of that.”

In a landmark report published in January, the government’s chief scientific adviser, Mark Walport , urged the UK government to start using blockchain technology immediately.

“Governments should set up distributed ledger trials to assess the technology’s usability in the public domain.”

In addition to this report, Mark also wrote an article in March that further explored how distributed ledgers can change the way governments operate. "My team of experts has observed some government use cases for this technology. The best way to develop a technology is to put it into practical use."

“Applying distributed ledger technology to the registration and payment process for government grants and benefits could prevent the loss of funds due to fraud and errors.”

In addition to Mark’s suggestions, Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock also announced that the government will consider blockchain technology as a “viable way to increase taxpayer funds.”

“If the government doesn’t keep up with this new innovative technology, then the government’s ability to deliver services to citizens will lag behind. We want to be at the forefront. I believe this technology can and must become part of the fabric of this country.”

Although the UK government has not announced how they plan to integrate distributed ledger technology into their infrastructure, in 2015 the government pledged $10 million to the Alan Turing Institute to investigate digital currencies and distributed ledger technology, and is currently looking for case studies that can demonstrate how the government can use blockchain technology.