Tokenization is the process of replacing elements of sensitive data with unique
identification symbols, tokens, to retain all essential information without compromising data security and privacy. It has proved instrumental in securing financial information while enabling e-commerce and consumer-friendly payment options to thrive. It has helped mitigate risk associated with industry and government regulations1. And, it has untapped potential in the healthcare industry.
In healthcare, understanding a patient’s whole story is paramount to conducting impactful research, making the right diagnosis, and securing health equity for people and communities. That means having the ability to see all the factors that influence a person’s healthcare journey and entire life — from family health history and risk factors to education, income, and community connections.
A patient-centric token can provide a comprehensive, longitudinal view of health events throughout the individual’s life, enabling data-driven care management and precision medicine. Indirectly, de-identified information can support advancements in clinical research by providing the real-world evidence (RWE) for driving advancements in individual and population health.
Applying Tokenization in Healthcare
It’s no secret that the healthcare industry requires precision and accuracy when it comes to the reliability of properly matched records. However, the technology is only as good as the data that informs it. With current tokenization technology, organizations often have limited views of their patients, which can create significant challenges.
Leveraging smart tokenization technology, supported by robust referential data, creates the opportunity to combine various data points and sources. This next-level technology presents the patient’s longitudinal healthcare journey with elevated precision, and accuracy – empowering confident decisions and better outcomes.
Smart Tokenization in Action
Real-World Data (RWD) helps generate Real-World Evidence by:
• Recruiting trial participants
• Assessing real-world efficacy
• Measuring long-term outcomes
• Creating a full picture of the patient journey
Next-generation tokenization technology enables the opportunity to combine this information to follow a patient’s longitudinal healthcare journey.
When we think about how many people can be impacted by mismatched datasets, the precision and accuracy of a token that is backed by a referential data layer is more critical than ever.
Identifiable data can be de-identified on a patient-centric token and linked with provider, payer, clinical, and device data to provide a comprehensive view of the patient. Inclusion of social determinants of health (SDoH) is necessary to round out the view of an individual’s health status and likelihood to access, afford, and benefit from care.