Use of a Blockchain-Based Marketplace to Incentivize Participation in Virtual Clinical Trials

Phillip Olla, Mustafa Abumeeiz, Lauren Elliott, Vijay Rajasekar, Stephen Bartol

OAI: oai:igi-global.com:282761 • DOI: 10.4018/JTA.20210101.oa4

There is an emerging need for advancements in how clinical trials are conducted in the current pandemic situation. Healthcare institutions are moving towards using digital technologies to avoid physical interactions between doctors and clinical trial participants. However, difficulties in recruiting and retaining participants are still prevalent. To overcome this issue, an incentive system that can be trusted by doctors as well as trial participants is required. The authors present a detailed report of Cashish, a blockchain-based incentivization system that rewards trial participants in the form of cryptocurrency tokens that they can utilize in an online marketplace that is also backed by the same blockchain. Usage of blockchain technology to provide research participation incentives eliminates the need for trust systems and ensures transparency between doctors and clinical trial participants, while ensuring participant anonymity.

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