A Blockchain Architecture for Healthcare Waste Management Practices-An Indian Case
摘要
Healthcare waste management is a primary concern for both developing and developed countries. Digital and physical technologies have a key role in managing healthcare waste effectively. The current waste management practices lack transparency and efficiency, which are important for a healthy society. Blockchain, a digital technology with secure, decentralized, immutable, consensus-based, and distributed characteristics, can manage healthcare waste. Based on expert consultation in a case organization and current literature gaps, this study proposes an architecture that provides transparency, tracking, and fair practices through collection, transportation, and disposal. Therefore, this study proposes a blockchain architecture for healthcare waste management practices. The proposed architecture provides process automation through smart contracts, which is helpful for policy abiding under government regulation. The architecture developed utilized Remix IDE to test and deploy smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Tracked waste disposal in a regulated environment, helped in waste disposal, handling, and treatment monitoring and supervision with secured and reliable data, and ensured improved efficient healthcare waste management practices for the organizations. The secure and transparent environment for different stakeholders creates a digital trust in blockchain-integrated healthcare waste management.