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Akram W, Joshi R, Haider T, Sharma P, Jain V, Garud N, Singh N. Blockchain technology: A potential tool for the management of pharma supply chain. Res Social Adm Pharm 2024; 20:156-164. [PMID: 38423927 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pharma supply chain comprises various parties including distributors, manufacturers, raw material suppliers, regulators, pharmacies, hospitals, and patients. Due to the product's complexity and transaction flows, an efficient traceability system is needed in the pharma supply chain to identify the current and all previous product owners. Digitizing the track and trace process significantly improves regulatory oversight and guarantees product quality. A distributed platform for shared data that is immutable, trustworthy, accountable, and transparent in the pharmaceutical supply chain could be built using blockchain-based drug traceability. OBJECTIVE This review aims to shed light on blockchain technology's significance and necessity for pharmaceutical supply chain management systems. METHOD A comprehensive literature review was performed between January 2017 and September 2023. The search was conducted to elaborate on blockchain technology. Blockchain is a software-based technology that logs and records transactions using a block structure arranged chronologically. Cryptography technology links and secures these blocks on a peer-to-peer network. Blockchain is anticipated to transform the pharmaceutical supply chain by giving all participants access to a single, straightforward system that provides transparency, security, and oversight of the end-to-end delivery of goods. RESULT In all, various literature data were included in this review. Using a supply chain powered by blockchain has many benefits. To begin with, it gives a thorough account of the entire procedure from start to finish. A single piece of software can manage the entire supply chain. Additionally, it increases communication between parties with permission. The enhanced security and traceability that blockchain offers is another important benefit. A blockchain system can track, trace, and recall products. CONCLUSION Blockchain-based pharmaceutical supply chain management enables the tracking of medicinal drug transactions from raw materials suppliers to end consumers. The pharma blockchain has the potential to enhance the security, integrity, data provenance, and functionality of the supply chain due to its transparency, immutability, and auditability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasim Akram
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, India.
| | - Ramakant Joshi
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, India
| | - Tanweer Haider
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, India
| | - Pankaj Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ShriRam College of Pharmacy, Banmore, Morena, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Vinay Jain
- Department of Pharmacognosy, ShriRam College of Pharmacy, Banmore, Morena, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Navneet Garud
- Department of Pharmaceutics, SOS in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Nitin Singh
- Gurukul Institute of Pharmaceutical Science & Research, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Krishna C, Kumar D, Kushwaha DS. A Comprehensive Survey on Pandemic Patient Monitoring System: Enabling Technologies, Opportunities, and Research Challenges. WIRELESS PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 131:1-48. [PMID: 37360140 PMCID: PMC10235850 DOI: 10.1007/s11277-023-10535-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Sporadic occurrences of transmissible diseases have severe and long-lasting effects on humankind throughout history. These outbreaks have molded the political, economic, and social aspects of human life. Pandemics have redefined some of the basic beliefs of modern healthcare, pushing researchers and scientists to develop innovative solutions to be better equipped for future emergencies. Numerous attempts have been made to fight Covid-19-like pandemics using technologies such as the Internet of Things, wireless body area network, blockchain, and machine learning. Since the disease is highly contagious, novel research in patients' health monitoring system is essential for the constant monitoring of pandemic patients with minimal or no human intervention. With the ongoing pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, popularly known as Covid-19, innovations for monitoring of patients' vitals and storing them securely have risen more than ever. Analyzing the stored patients' data can further assist healthcare workers in their decision-making process. In this paper, we surveyed the research works on remote monitoring of pandemic patients admitted in hospitals or quarantined at home. First, an overview of pandemic patient monitoring is given followed by a brief introduction of enabling technologies i.e. Internet of Things, blockchain, and machine learning to implement the system. The reviewed works have been classified into three categories; remote monitoring of pandemic patients using IoT, blockchain-based storage or sharing platforms for patients' data, and processing/analyzing the stored patients' data using machine learning for prognosis and diagnosis. We also identified several open research issues to set directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu Krishna
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, UP 211004 India
| | - Dinesh Kumar
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand 831014 India
| | - Dharmender Singh Kushwaha
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, UP 211004 India
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Lee H, Wang W, Chauhan N, Xiong Y, Magazine N, Valdescruz O, Kim DY, Qiu T, Huang W, Wang X, Cunningham BT. Rapid detection of intact SARS-CoV-2 using designer DNA Nets and a pocket-size smartphone-linked fluorimeter. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 229:115228. [PMID: 36963325 PMCID: PMC10019040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive point-of-care diagnosis is vital to controlling highly infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Here, we report the design and characterization of a compact fluorimeter called a "Virus Pod" (V-Pod) that enables sensitive self-testing of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva. The rechargeable battery-operated device reads the fluorescence generated by Designer DNA Nanostructures (DDN) when they specifically interact with intact SARS-CoV-2 virions. DDNs are net-shaped self-assembling nucleic acid constructs that provide an array of highly specific aptamer-fluorescent quencher duplexes located at precise positions that match the pattern of spike proteins. The room-temperature assay is performed by mixing the test sample with DNA Net sensor in a conventional PCR tube and placing the tube into the V-Pod. Fluorescent signals are generated when multivalent aptamer-spike binding releases fluorescent quenchers, resulting in rapid (5-min) generation of dose-dependent output. The V-Pod instrument performs laser excitation, fluorescence intensity quantitation, and secure transmission of data to an App via Bluetooth™. We show that the V-Pod and DNA Net assay achieves clinically relevant detection limits of 3.92 × 103 viral-genome-copies/mL for pseudo-typed wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and 1.84 × 104, 9.69 × 104, 6.99 × 104 viral-genome-copies/mL for pathogenic Delta, Omicron, and D614G variants, representing sensitivity similar to laboratory-based PCR. The pocket-sized instrument (∼$294), inexpensive reagent-cost/test ($1.26), single-step, rapid sample-to-answer, and quantitative output represent a capability that is compatible with the needs of frequent self-testing in a consumer-friendly format that can link with medical service systems such as healthcare providers, contact tracing, and infectious disease reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hankeun Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Nick Holonyak Jr. Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Weijing Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Nick Holonyak Jr. Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Neha Chauhan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Nick Holonyak Jr. Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Center for Genomic Diagnostics, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yanyu Xiong
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Nick Holonyak Jr. Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Center for Genomic Diagnostics, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Nicholas Magazine
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Owen Valdescruz
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Dong Yeun Kim
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Tianjie Qiu
- Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Weishan Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Nick Holonyak Jr. Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Center for Genomic Diagnostics, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Brian T Cunningham
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Nick Holonyak Jr. Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA; Center for Genomic Diagnostics, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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Emerging technologies for COVID (ET-CoV) detection and diagnosis: Recent advancements, applications, challenges, and future perspectives. Biomed Signal Process Control 2023; 83:104642. [PMID: 36818992 PMCID: PMC9917176 DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2023.104642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
In light of the constantly changing terrain of the COVID outbreak, medical specialists have implemented proactive schemes for vaccine production. Despite the remarkable COVID-19 vaccine development, the virus has mutated into new variants, including delta and omicron. Currently, the situation is critical in many parts of the world, and precautions are being taken to stop the virus from spreading and mutating. Early identification and diagnosis of COVID-19 are the main challenges faced by emerging technologies during the outbreak. In these circumstances, emerging technologies to tackle Coronavirus have proven magnificent. Artificial intelligence (AI), big data, the internet of medical things (IoMT), robotics, blockchain technology, telemedicine, smart applications, and additive manufacturing are suspicious for detecting, classifying, monitoring, and locating COVID-19. Henceforth, this research aims to glance at these COVID-19 defeating technologies by focusing on their strengths and limitations. A CiteSpace-based bibliometric analysis of the emerging technology was established. The most impactful keywords and the ongoing research frontiers were compiled. Emerging technologies were unstable due to data inconsistency, redundant and noisy datasets, and the inability to aggregate the data due to disparate data formats. Moreover, the privacy and confidentiality of patient medical records are not guaranteed. Hence, Significant data analysis is required to develop an intelligent computational model for effective and quick clinical diagnosis of COVID-19. Remarkably, this article outlines how emerging technology has been used to counteract the virus disaster and offers ongoing research frontiers, directing readers to concentrate on the real challenges and thus facilitating additional explorations to amplify emerging technologies.
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5
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George M, Chacko AM. Health Passport: A blockchain-based PHR-integrated self-sovereign identity system. FRONTIERS IN BLOCKCHAIN 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2023.1075083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to validate a person’s health status along with their identity to permit travel. This was facilitated via paper-based certificates and centralized digital apps. Even after COVID-19, it is anticipated that such health status verifications will be required for travel and other purposes. As a result, there needs to be an additional credential, a “Health Passport,” that establishes whether a person satisfies the health requirements for various purposes. Digital credentials so prepared should be trustable, unforgeable, and verifiable. The Health Passport should be designed to protect the end-users’ privacy and give people control over the data they use to confirm their credentials. This article explores the requirements for a generalized Health Passport system and uses agent-oriented modeling (AOM) to design a blockchain-based self-sovereign identity (SSI) system integrated with the Personal Health Record (PHR) to address this requirement. The article demonstrates the feasibility of the solution by implementing a proof of concept on Hyperledger Indy and Aries, integrated with the PHR – MediTrans. Credential issuance and verification time were calculated, and it was observed that the time overhead was minimal. This solution allows users to verify their credentials with the verifier without revealing any significant personal information. Our solution can be integrated into any PHR solution as the SSI solution is added as a plugin to the PHR accessible via a mobile/web app.
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6
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Leveraging blockchain in response to a pandemic through disaster risk management: an IF-MCDM framework. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12063-022-00340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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7
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Blockchain Powered Vaccine Efficacy for Pharma Sector. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:4862742. [PMID: 36124173 PMCID: PMC9482494 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4862742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Infectious and contagious diseases exist in humanity for many centuries which causes a curb in the growth of the population. Immunization plays a vital role to prevent mortality and morbidity against infectious diseases. COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage the urgency of developing a vaccine that should ensure the safety, efficacy, swift and fair deployment, implementation, and monitoring of vaccines across the globe. In the present context, the vaccine production to immunization campaign is a critical challenge. Therefore, an effective vaccine supply chain mechanism is required to address issues such as counterfeit vaccines, reduce vaccine wastages, and vaccine record fraud. In this paper, a blockchain-enabled vaccine supply chain is proposed to ensure the correctness, transparency, trust, and immutable log and improve the efficiency of vaccine distribution in the cold chain. The uniqueness of the proposed system is to provide distributed system to verify the reliability and efficacy of the vaccine from production to end beneficiaries' feedback about the vaccine. Our proposed system gives a clear view to the users as well as to the healthcare provider about the vaccination and ensures the anticounterfeit vaccine. The proposed system minimizes counterfeit vaccines and records, provides transparent communication between stakeholders in the supply chain, and improves the security of the vaccine supply chain and immutable feedback system about the vaccine.
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8
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Bustamante P, Cai M, Gomez M, Harris C, Krishnamurthy P, Law W, Madison MJ, Murtazashvili I, Murtazashvili JB, Mylovanov T, Shapoval N, Vee A, Weiss M. Government by Code? Blockchain Applications to Public Sector Governance. FRONTIERS IN BLOCKCHAIN 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fbloc.2022.869665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Studies of blockchain governance can be divided into analyses of the governance of blockchains (such as rules and power dynamics within a given network) and governance by blockchains (such as how blockchains can be implemented to improve self-governance of community-based peer production networks). Less emphasis has been placed on applications of distributed ledgers to public sector governance. Our review clarifies that the decentralization and distributive features that enable blockchains to link up loosely connected private organizations and public agencies to improve efficiency and transparency of government transactions. However, most blockchain applications lack clear advantages over the conventional digital recording of information. In addition, our review highlights that blockchain applications in public sector governance are potentially vast, though in most instances, the existing applications have not extended much beyond limited-scale pilots. We conclude with a call for the construction of indexes of public sector implementations of blockchains, as none yet exist, as well as for additional research to understand why governments have not deployed blockchains more widely.
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Kumar P, Singh RK, Shahgholian A. Learnings from COVID-19 for managing humanitarian supply chains: systematic literature review and future research directions. ANNALS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH 2022:1-37. [PMID: 35694371 PMCID: PMC9175170 DOI: 10.1007/s10479-022-04753-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been experienced as the most significant global disaster after the Spanish flue in 1918. Millions of people lost their life due to a lack of preparedness and ineffective strategies for managing humanitarian supply chains (HSC). Based on the learnings from this pandemic outbreak, different strategies for managing the effective HSC have been explored in the present context of pandemics through a systematic literature review. The findings highlight some of the major challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as lack of planning and preparedness, extended shortages of essential lifesaving items, inadequate lab capacity, lack of transparency and visibility, inefficient distribution network, high response time, dependencies on single sourcing for the medical equipment and medicines, lack of the right information on time, and lack of awareness about the protocol for the treatment of the viral disease. Some of the significant learnings observed from this analysis are the use of multiple sourcing of essential items, joint procurement, improving collaboration among all stakeholders, applications of IoT and blockchain technologies for improving tracking and traceability of essential commodities, application of data analytics tools for accurate prediction of next possible COVID wave/disruptions and optimization of distribution network. Limited studies are focused on finding solutions to these problems in managing HSC. Therefore, as a future scope, researchers could find solutions to optimizing the distribution network in context to pandemics, improving tracing and tracking of items during sudden demand, improving trust and collaborations among different agencies involved in HSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravin Kumar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India
| | | | - Azar Shahgholian
- Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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Data-Driven Analytics Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in the Era of COVID-19: An Insightful Review of Recent Developments. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and other latest technologies that were employed to fight the recent pandemic (i.e., novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)). These technologies assisted the early detection/diagnosis, trends analysis, intervention planning, healthcare burden forecasting, comorbidity analysis, and mitigation and control, to name a few. The key-enablers of these technologies was data that was obtained from heterogeneous sources (i.e., social networks (SN), internet of (medical) things (IoT/IoMT), cellular networks, transport usage, epidemiological investigations, and other digital/sensing platforms). To this end, we provide an insightful overview of the role of data-driven analytics leveraging AI in the era of COVID-19. Specifically, we discuss major services that AI can provide in the context of COVID-19 pandemic based on six grounds, (i) AI role in seven different epidemic containment strategies (a.k.a non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)), (ii) AI role in data life cycle phases employed to control pandemic via digital solutions, (iii) AI role in performing analytics on heterogeneous types of data stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, (iv) AI role in the healthcare sector in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, (v) general-purpose applications of AI in COVID-19 era, and (vi) AI role in drug design and repurposing (e.g., iteratively aligning protein spikes and applying three/four-fold symmetry to yield a low-resolution candidate template) against COVID-19. Further, we discuss the challenges involved in applying AI to the available data and privacy issues that can arise from personal data transitioning into cyberspace. We also provide a concise overview of other latest technologies that were increasingly applied to limit the spread of the ongoing pandemic. Finally, we discuss the avenues of future research in the respective area. This insightful review aims to highlight existing AI-based technological developments and future research dynamics in this area.
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Comprehensive Survey of IoT, Machine Learning, and Blockchain for Health Care Applications: A Topical Assessment for Pandemic Preparedness, Challenges, and Solutions. ELECTRONICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/electronics10202501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Internet of Things (IoT) communication technologies have brought immense revolutions in various domains, especially in health monitoring systems. Machine learning techniques coupled with advanced artificial intelligence techniques detect patterns associated with diseases and health conditions. Presently, the scientific community is focused on enhancing IoT-enabled applications by integrating blockchain technology with machine learning models to benefit medical report management, drug traceability, tracking infectious diseases, etc. To date, contemporary state-of-the-art techniques have presented various efforts on the adaptability of blockchain and machine learning in IoT applications; however, there exist various essential aspects that must also be incorporated to achieve more robust performance. This study presents a comprehensive survey of emerging IoT technologies, machine learning, and blockchain for healthcare applications. The reviewed articles comprise a plethora of research articles published in the web of science. The analysis is focused on research articles related to keywords such as ‘machine learning’, blockchain, ‘Internet of Things or IoT’, and keywords conjoined with ‘healthcare’ and ‘health application’ in six famous publisher databases, namely IEEEXplore, Nature, ScienceDirect, MDPI, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. We selected and reviewed 263 articles in total. The topical survey of the contemporary IoT-based models is presented in healthcare domains in three steps. Firstly, a detailed analysis of healthcare applications of IoT, blockchain, and machine learning demonstrates the importance of the discussed fields. Secondly, the adaptation mechanism of machine learning and blockchain in IoT for healthcare applications are discussed to delineate the scope of the mentioned techniques in IoT domains. Finally, the challenges and issues of healthcare applications based on machine learning, blockchain, and IoT are discussed. The presented future directions in this domain can significantly help the scholarly community determine research gaps to address.
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Mithani SS, Bota AB, Zhu DT, Wilson K. A scoping review of global vaccine certificate solutions for COVID-19. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 18:1-12. [PMID: 34613869 PMCID: PMC8920155 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1969849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, measures, such as lockdown, quarantining, and physical distancing, have been implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. As the vaccines are now available and reintegration into society is beginning, measures such as vaccine certificates are being implemented around the world. We conducted a scoping review to identify the initial digital solutions for COVID-19 vaccine certificates and evaluate them on the basis of purpose and use case, technological architecture, and ethical and legal implications. Articles identified from a Google search and a search of MEDLINE, Ovid and preprint servers were reviewed in duplicate, and data were extracted using a data extraction form. Data were extracted for date, location, type of article, source, companies identified for creating vaccine certificates, technology used, type of evidence provided (article quoting research study or an expert opinion), digital architecture, security and privacy measures, and use cases. Technology emerged as the most dominant theme followed by ethics, travel, legal concerns, public policy, and scientific concerns. Our review identified eight solutions that are working toward COVID-19 vaccine certificates world-wide, all optimizing blockchain technology. COVID-19 vaccine certificates are being considered in 11 countries and are in place in 5 others. Many issues concerning the themes we identified remain to be addressed to facilitate successful implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salima S Mithani
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - A Brianne Bota
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - David T Zhu
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kumanan Wilson
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Brùyere Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Abd-Alrazaq A, Hassan A, Abuelezz I, Ahmed A, Alzubaidi MS, Shah U, Alhuwail D, Giannicchi A, Househ M. Overview of Technologies Implemented During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e29136. [PMID: 34406962 PMCID: PMC8767979 DOI: 10.2196/29136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Technologies have been extensively implemented to provide health care services for all types of clinical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several reviews have been conducted regarding technologies used during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were limited by focusing either on a specific technology (or features) or proposed rather than implemented technologies. OBJECTIVE This review aims to provide an overview of technologies, as reported in the literature, implemented during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We conducted a scoping review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) Extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies were retrieved by searching 8 electronic databases, checking the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews (backward reference list checking), and checking studies that cited included studies (forward reference list checking). The search terms were chosen based on the target intervention (ie, technologies) and the target disease (ie, COVID-19). We included English publications that focused on technologies or digital tools implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide health-related services regardless of target health condition, user, or setting. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of studies and extracted data from eligible papers. We used a narrative approach to synthesize extracted data. RESULTS Of 7374 retrieved papers, 126 were deemed eligible. Telemedicine was the most common type of technology (107/126, 84.9%) implemented in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the most common mode of telemedicine was synchronous (100/108, 92.6%). The most common purpose of the technologies was providing consultation (75/126, 59.5%), followed by following up with patients (45/126, 35.7%), and monitoring their health status (22/126, 17.4%). Zoom (22/126, 17.5%) and WhatsApp (12/126, 9.5%) were the most commonly used videoconferencing and social media platforms, respectively. Both health care professionals and health consumers were the most common target users (103/126, 81.7%). The health condition most frequently targeted was COVID-19 (38/126, 30.2%), followed by any physical health conditions (21/126, 16.7%), and mental health conditions (13/126, 10.3%). Technologies were web-based in 84.1% of the studies (106/126). Technologies could be used through 11 modes, and the most common were mobile apps (86/126, 68.3%), desktop apps (73/126, 57.9%), telephone calls (49/126, 38.9%), and websites (45/126, 35.7%). CONCLUSIONS Technologies played a crucial role in mitigating the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We did not find papers describing the implementation of other technologies (eg, contact-tracing apps, drones, blockchain) during the first wave. Furthermore, technologies in this review were used for other purposes (eg, drugs and vaccines discovery, social distancing, and immunity passport). Future research on studies on these technologies and purposes is recommended, and further reviews are required to investigate technologies implemented in subsequent waves of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Abd-Alrazaq
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Asmaa Hassan
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Israa Abuelezz
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Arfan Ahmed
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mahmood Saleh Alzubaidi
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Uzair Shah
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Dari Alhuwail
- Information Science Department, Kuwait University, Kuwait, Kuwait
- Health Informatics Unit, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait, Kuwait
| | - Anna Giannicchi
- School of Professional Studies, Berkeley College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mowafa Househ
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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14
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Aslam B, Javed AR, Chakraborty C, Nebhen J, Raqib S, Rizwan M. Blockchain and ANFIS empowered IoMT application for privacy preserved contact tracing in COVID-19 pandemic. PERSONAL AND UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING 2021; 28:1-17. [PMID: 34312582 PMCID: PMC8295644 DOI: 10.1007/s00779-021-01596-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Life-threatening novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), also known as COVID-19, has engulfed the world and caused health and economic challenges. To control the spread of COVID-19, a mechanism is required to enforce physical distancing between people. This paper proposes a Blockchain-based framework that preserves patients' anonymity while tracing their contacts with the help of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones. We use a smartphone application to interact with the proposed blockchain framework for contact tracing of the general public using Bluetooth and to store the obtained data over the cloud, which is accessible to health departments and government agencies to perform necessary and timely actions (e.g., like quarantine the infected people moving around). Thus, the proposed framework helps people perform their regular business and day-to-day activities with a controlled mechanism that keeps them safe from infected and exposed people. The smartphone application is capable enough to check their COVID status after analyzing the symptoms quickly and observes (based on given symptoms) either this person is infected or not. As a result, the proposed Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Interference System (ANFIS) system predicts the COVID status, and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) enhances the accuracy rate to 95.9% compared to state-of-the-art results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bakhtawar Aslam
- Kinnaird College for Women University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Chinmay Chakraborty
- Department of Electronics, Communication Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, Jharkhand, India
| | - Jamel Nebhen
- College of Computer Science and Engineering, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, PO. Box: 151, Alkharj, 11942 Saudi Arabia
| | - Saira Raqib
- Kinnaird College for Women University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Kinnaird College for Women University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
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15
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Abd-alrazaq A, Hassan A, Abuelezz I, Ahmed A, Alzubaidi MS, Shah U, Alhuwail D, Giannicchi A, Househ M. Overview of Technologies Implemented During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review (Preprint).. [DOI: 10.2196/preprints.29136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Technologies have been extensively implemented to provide health care services for all types of clinical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. While several reviews have been conducted regarding technologies used during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were limited by focusing either on a specific technology (or features) or proposed rather than implemented technologies.
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to provide an overview of technologies, as reported in the literature, implemented during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
We conducted a scoping review using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) Extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies were retrieved by searching 8 electronic databases, checking the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews (backward reference list checking), and checking studies that cited included studies (forward reference list checking). The search terms were chosen based on the target intervention (ie, technologies) and the target disease (ie, COVID-19). We included English publications that focused on technologies or digital tools implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide health-related services regardless of target health condition, user, or setting. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of studies and extracted data from eligible papers. We used a narrative approach to synthesize extracted data.
RESULTS
Of 7374 retrieved papers, 126 were deemed eligible. Telemedicine was the most common type of technology (107/126, 84.9%) implemented in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the most common mode of telemedicine was synchronous (100/108, 92.6%). The most common purpose of the technologies was providing consultation (75/126, 59.5%), followed by following up with patients (45/126, 35.7%), and monitoring their health status (22/126, 17.4%). Zoom (22/126, 17.5%) and WhatsApp (12/126, 9.5%) were the most commonly used videoconferencing and social media platforms, respectively. Both health care professionals and health consumers were the most common target users (103/126, 81.7%). The health condition most frequently targeted was COVID-19 (38/126, 30.2%), followed by any physical health conditions (21/126, 16.7%), and mental health conditions (13/126, 10.3%). Technologies were web-based in 84.1% of the studies (106/126). Technologies could be used through 11 modes, and the most common were mobile apps (86/126, 68.3%), desktop apps (73/126, 57.9%), telephone calls (49/126, 38.9%), and websites (45/126, 35.7%).
CONCLUSIONS
Technologies played a crucial role in mitigating the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We did not find papers describing the implementation of other technologies (eg, contact-tracing apps, drones, blockchain) during the first wave. Furthermore, technologies in this review were used for other purposes (eg, drugs and vaccines discovery, social distancing, and immunity passport). Future research on studies on these technologies and purposes is recommended, and further reviews are required to investigate technologies implemented in subsequent waves of the pandemic.
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16
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Ricci L, Maesa DDF, Favenza A, Ferro E. Blockchains for COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Vaccine Support: A Systematic Review. IEEE ACCESS : PRACTICAL INNOVATIONS, OPEN SOLUTIONS 2021; 9:37936-37950. [PMID: 34812382 PMCID: PMC8545218 DOI: 10.1109/access.2021.3063152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Several blockchain projects to help against COVID-19 are emerging at a fast pace, showing the potential of this disruptive technology to mitigate the multi-systemic threats the pandemic is posing on all phases of the emergency management and generate value for the economy and society as a whole. This survey investigates how blockchain technology can be useful in the scope of supporting health actions that can reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections and allow a return to normality. Since the prominent use of blockchains to mitigate COVID-19 consequences are in the area of contact tracing and vaccine/immunity passport support, the survey mainly focuses on these two classes of applications. The aim of the survey is to show that only a proper combination of blockchain technology with advanced cryptographic techniques can guarantee a secure and privacy preserving support to fight COVID-19. In particular, this article first presents these techniques, i.e. zero-knowledge, Diffie Hellman, blind signatures, and proxy re-encryption, then describes how they are used in combination with blockchains to define robust and privacy-preserving solutions. Finally, a brief description of blockchain applications beyond contact tracing and vaccine certification is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ricci
- Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of Pisa56126PisaItaly
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