Received: 2023-12-29  |  Accepted: 2024-03-14  |  Published: 2024-03-30

Title

Blockchain technology for health information management: a case of Zimbabwe


Abstract

Porous paper-based systems, manipulation of data, information access constraints, and untimely reporting of information characterize Health Information management in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. This article aims to explore how the adoption and implementation of Blockchain technology can solve health information management challenges in Zimbabwe's public health sector. This article explores the opportunities and challenges of implementing Blockchain technology in Zimbabwe's public health sector through qualitative desk research. The significant findings in this paper reflect that blockchain has the potential to prevent health records from being manipulated, modified or corrupted without a consensus, making the technology secure. It also improves access to health data for all stakeholders in the medical domain. Furthermore, this technology has the potential to improve data management and enforce accountability and transparency in vital clinical functions such as procurement and finance, resulting in the provision of quality health services. However, blockchain has not been given much attention in Zimbabwe's public health sector as its implementation has the potential to be hampered by numerous challenges such as inadequate information communication technology infrastructure and skills, security and privacy concerns, usability, resistance to change and lack of financial resources to procure hardware and software needed for this technology. Thus, this paper recommends that health policymakers engage in more research to understand better and evaluate the value of this technology in Zimbabwe to ensure it can thrive in resource-constrained settings.


Keywords

blockchain, health information system, Zimbabwe, opportunities, challenges


JEL classifications

I10 , I19


URI

http://jssidoi.org/ird/article/156


DOI


Pages

59-73


Funding

The research is funded by University of Johannesburg, School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, South Africa

This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Authors

Chilunjika, Sharon R.T.
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa https://www.uj.ac.za
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Uwizeyimana, Dominique E.
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa https://www.uj.ac.za
Articles by this author in: CrossRef |  Google Scholar

Journal title

Insights into Regional Development

Volume

6


Number

1


Issue date

March 2024


Issue DOI


ISSN

ISSN 2345-0282 (online)


Publisher

VšĮ Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, Vilnius, Lithuania

Cited

Google Scholar

Article views & downloads

HTML views: 102  |  PDF downloads: 73

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