IBM Digital Health Pass is a initiative from the technology company to record people's health status on their return to public places and crowds.
The return to activities as we knew them before the COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges for governments and the population. "New normality" raises issues that need to be solved to prevent mass contagion. IBM introduced the Digital Digital Health Passport, a solution that seeks to give users tools to present their updated health status so they can return to workplaces, schools, crowded locations such as concerts or stadiums, or airplane flights.
IBM Digital Health Pass, is a blockchain-based platform, a cryptographic technique for information protection, “designed to combine multiple dynamic data sources – such as test results and onsite temperature scans – which provides individuals the ability to store and share their health status from their mobile phones,” explains IBM's website on this innovation. Privacy is the essential point when applying this type of technology that involves data, especially when it comes to medical information.
Another key point to highlight of IBM Digital Health Pass is the flexibility of the platform, as it was designed for different types of use and can be incorporated into existing digital ecosystems such as mobile applications. Similarly, organizations that use this resource can design their rules and policies through the data collected by the platform.
The digital passport will allow people to share their health status, without sharing lab results or a complete medical history. In addition, the user controls access to their data, each person must give their consent to share their medical information. “For example, they could choose to share their thermal scans and vaccination records, and they can still withhold access to lab results.”
“Trust and transparency remain paramount when developing a platform like a digital health passport, or any solution that handles sensitive personal information”, said Blockchain Global Vice President Eric Piscini. IBM Digital Health Pass currently has limited demonstrations for organizations.
