How Far Is the Implementation of Blockchain in Healthcare? HDC Advocates Industry-Wide Collaboration and Co-Creation
The traceability and immutability of blockchain technology have proven highly effective in sectors such as finance and supply chain management. Although there is a demand for on-chain data storage in the healthcare sector, the development of “healthcare + blockchain” technology has been sluggish due to regulatory constraints.
Everything is changing. As national policies promote the opening of medical data to patients, individuals are gradually gaining access to portions of their health records from hospitals. The continuous advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has also provided researchers with more extensive daily health data from patients. Meanwhile, the growing adoption of mobile internet healthcare has facilitated communication and interaction between doctors and patients. This represents a disruptive shift and a brand-new opportunity for “Healthcare + Blockchain.”
There are always dedicated individuals ready for such moments. The HDC team, having identified the evolving trends in the future of healthcare, began constructing its main blockchain tailored to the medical sector and developing related applications early this year.
The HDC team comprises top-tier cryptographers, blockchain experts, and healthcare professionals in China. With robust R&D capabilities and extensive industry expertise, they seamlessly integrate these strengths to build a healthcare-centric mainchain.
Zhong Bing, the Technical Lead for China at the project, holds a master’s degree in Information Security (Cryptography) and Computer Applications from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and is a renowned expert in blockchain and cryptography in China. He previously served as System Architect and Co-founder of “Ruiyun Online,” Microsoft China’s cloud computing platform, which commenced operations in 2011. With eight years of experience in technical and applied research in cloud computing and distributed systems, Zhong began focusing on Ethereum smart contracts and decentralized technology architecture practices and applications in 2015. He holds multiple invention patents in blockchain and cryptography and offers unique insights into the application and practice of blockchain-based cloud computing platforms.
Chen Zhiming, a core technical member of the team, is an expert in hospital informatization. He previously served as the technical lead at the Information and Statistics Center of the Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission and was the founder of Renji Health. With extensive experience working in provincial-level Grade A tertiary hospitals and the Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission, he possesses deep expertise in hospital informatization solutions. In 2015, Chen began researching and developing blockchain-based applications for the interoperability and information sharing of electronic health records (EHRs), addressing challenges related to the mutual exchange and sharing of EHRs between hospitals as well as the management of individual electronic health records.
Another technical member of the team, Wang Guoning, studied Electronic Information at Tongji University and later earned a Master’s degree in Automatic Control from Donghua University. He founded Shanghai Yuansheng Information Technology and brings ten years of experience in software development, internet technology platform planning, and project management, having successfully led the development of dozens of software projects. Mr. Wang previously undertook several mobile healthcare big data platform development projects for the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and served as CTO of “CPIC Health.”
In contrast to the traditional healthcare institution-centric model for chronic disease care and management, the core value of HDC lies in its “Distributed Care Community.” Chronic disease management requires building a comprehensive system around patients that encompasses daily care, specialist consultations, pharmacological interventions, integrated care and maintenance, rehabilitation and wellness, as well as critical and emergency protection. However, since these medical resources and services are provided by disparate healthcare institutions or physicians, this creates a fragmented landscape of centralized service providers, often leading to fragmented medical services and discontinuity in chronic disease management.
Truly effective chronic disease management requires a collaborative mechanism to mobilize relevant medical resources, namely by establishing a decentralized service network that provides co-caregivers with pathways to achieve value at scale, thereby fostering a high-quality health community characterized by frequent interaction and active participation from both patients and caregivers.
Supported by the HDC ecosystem, users address challenges in chronic disease management—such as fragmented medical services, discontinuous care management, and poor patient adherence—through trusted data sharing, AI-assisted diagnosis, and token-based value transfer. The collaborative community enables users to provide timely feedback to physicians, while healthcare professionals can conduct more effective follow-ups based on on-chain information.
The core advantages of the HDC Health Chain lie not only in its robust blockchain architecture, but more importantly, in the team’s established network of partners, which enables the rapid formation of a micro-ecosystem shortly after launch. Furthermore, its seasoned healthcare professionals are well-equipped to provide effective solutions to challenges arising both before and after the platform goes live.
Blockchain-based public chain solutions deliver high-performance DApp interactions, multi-chain architecture, modular consensus algorithms, IPFS network integration, a comprehensive API framework, and an extensive library of standard smart contracts. The Ethereum-based hybrid chain has completed its internal testing phase, with the beta version for health data assets and data trading scheduled for release in Q2.
A mature mobile health product team, deeply rooted in the mobile healthcare sector, has established robust resources and a comprehensive product portfolio. The cornerstone project is poised for swift and seamless implementation, with a major domestic blockchain-based healthcare application set to emerge in Q3.
The founder of EHR HealthChain is the earliest inventor of hospital EHR blockchain solutions in China. The mature solution, integrated with the tiered diagnosis and treatment service platform, will enter trial operation in Q4.
DFJ DragonVenture has invested in numerous renowned healthcare and blockchain companies both domestically and internationally. Demonstrating strong ambition in the healthcare blockchain sector, it believes that a globally leading healthcare blockchain unicorn can be rapidly cultivated in China. The firm places significant emphasis on connecting the Health Chain project with international technological and medical resources. By facilitating regular exchanges and complementary technological collaborations with healthcare blockchain projects in Silicon Valley, Singapore, Japan, and other regions, DFJ DragonVenture helps the Health Chain project establish a global perspective and maintain a competitive edge.
The application of blockchain in healthcare has seen limited development to date; many mainchain projects have either not yet been initiated or failed shortly after launch. This is largely attributable to entrepreneurs’ blind pursuit of blockchain technology, without due consideration for the healthcare sector’s distinctive characteristics, namely its long investment horizons and close integration with clinical practice.
Li Xuan, founder of HDC Health Chain, told VCBeat: “Our team has many years of experience in the healthcare sector and possesses a deep understanding of the pain points in medical and health services. Many entrepreneurs do not come from the healthcare background; they are merely attracted by the trend of putting medical data on the blockchain, without gaining an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of the medical field. In reality, every stage—from building the main chain and ensuring security maintenance to onboarding data onto the chain—involves numerous critical details that affect the overall system. These details can only be identified by experts with extensive experience in hospital informatization. We have the capability to refine every detail.”
In addition to the entrepreneurs’ qualitative advantages, the HDC team examined data flows within the healthcare industry and made preliminary estimates of on-chain transaction volumes. Since timeliness is not a critical requirement for healthcare data usage, there is no scenario in which large volumes of data must be written to the blockchain simultaneously. To conserve performance resources and reduce the number of nodes required, HDC set its transactions-per-second (TPS) capacity at approximately 2,000. This level fully meets current healthcare demands, reduces energy consumption associated with mainnet operations, and can handle most unforeseen circumstances.
HDC Health has already secured numerous high-profile partners. The inaugural cohort of cornerstone projects on the blockchain includes CPIC Health, Shi Yisheng, Renji Health, and Puhui Zhiyi. Subsequent onboarding partners span various sub-sectors of healthcare: chronic disease management platforms such as Aishen Wang, Datangyi, and Handheld ECG; medical device companies including KuaiShuEr, Huaqing Xinyi, Enpusheng, and Shuangjia Medical; medical aesthetics firms such as Dingxin Shares and Langsi International; together with listed and pre-IPO companies like Yicheng Shares, Lexin Shares, and Jiuan Shares, all actively exploring practical blockchain applications in healthcare.
HDC Health Chain adheres to the blockchain spirit of openness, sharing, and co-creation. It is committed to engaging with all stakeholders in discussing key issues regarding blockchain applications, such as the integration of blockchain technology with prescription outflow, integrated medical and elderly care, shared nursing services, inclusive health screenings, and medical insurance. Cooperation models include assisting partners in developing decentralized applications (DApps), consortium blockchains, and public blockchains. HDC Health Chain firmly believes that only through the successful implementation of an increasing number of projects can a robust healthcare blockchain ecosystem be established.