Human-Centered Design to identify implementation and user experience challenges of a Blockchain-based solution for the exchange of health data in precision medicine

The decentralized applications and distributed ledgers of the blockchain technology (BT) make the exchange of health records more secure, allow users to be the primary owners of their health records, and provide higher protection of users’ records due to an ability to exchange information without revealing their identifiable information. The paper discusses what human-centered design (HCD) methods revealed about the user experience of individuals interacting with a BT-based solution that lets users contribute their de-identified health data to research projects in precision medicine. The methods revealed challenges in the user experience and presented the solutions carried out throughout the iteration phases of the solution’s user experience. Despite the privacy-preserving benefits of blockchain-based platforms, the complicated architecture of the technology and management of BT wallets constitute a real challenge to designing a user-friendly experience. This negatively impacts the adoption and implementation of BT-based solutions in health records management.