Global Survey: Nearly Half of Physicians are Not Aware of Blockchain Technology

While there is a lot of buzz around blockchain technology and its potential benefits for healthcare, including easier data exchange between doctor and patients, increased security of patients’ privacy and minimized time spent on administrative duties, a recent survey of physicians indicates that most doctors are not yet on board with blockchain.

A survey conducted by SERMO, a physician polling network, of 3,700 physicians across the globe found that nearly half (47 percent) of polled physicians said that they were not aware of blockchain technology.

Physicians were asked: “Is blockchain technology ready to enter the healthcare world?” A quarter of physicians (25 percent) responded yes, 28 percent responded no and 47 percent said they weren’t aware of the technology.

In the U.S., about 19 percent of physicians said the healthcare industry was ready for blockchain, 32 percent said no and 49 percent said they were not aware of the technology.

In some countries, physicians had more positive responses to blockchain technology. In Brazil, Russia, Turkey and India, about half of physicians who participated in the survey said that healthcare was ready for blockchain. Thirty-nine percent of physicians in Germany responded “yes” to the survey, and 46 percent of physicians in South Korea also said healthcare was ready for blockchain.