Empowering Diabetes Management Through Blockchain and Edge Computing: A Systematic Review of Healthcare Innovations and Challenges

In the evolving landscape of health information management, the application of blockchain and edge computing technologies to chronic disease management remains underexplored, despite the urgent need for scalable, secure, and real-time solutions. This systematic review examines the integration of these technologies in healthcare, with a specific focus on diabetes management. We analyzed 52 studies, categorizing findings into three key areas: enhanced data security and privacy through decentralized frameworks and tamper-proof storage; real-time data processing, enabled by edge computing for immediate analytics and alerts; and scalability, achieved via hybrid architectures that optimize data handling. Our review identifies critical gaps in the existing literature, particularly the lack of tailored approaches for chronic disease contexts like diabetes, and outlines future directions for developing robust, secure, scalable, and real-time data solutions. This study provides a foundation for innovation in healthcare technology that can significantly impact diabetes care and chronic disease management.