Alex Cahana, MD
Firstly, how did we get here?
Health 1.0 (2008-2016) might also be called “Access Health”, where in an early digital age mostly influenced by the ACA (aka Obamacare) mandate to use the EHR, data is collected in the hope that patients will receive better, timely and more personalized care (right patient, right care, right time).
Health 2.0 (2016-2022) or “Personal Choice Health”, where a consumer-centric market offers wellbeing and health apps, wearables and remote monitoring devices. This mobile-centric, data-driven market with a “bio-hacking” culture makes users responsible for their health; however, data and profits remain in the hands of industry.
And now on to Health 3.0, which has also been dubbed “Ownership Health”…
Health 3.0 (2022 and the future) is the extension of the read-write-own concept of Web3, meaning data is not only personalized and customized for users (user-centric), but also owned and controlled by them (hence the term “Ownership Health”), allowing participants to be involved in the web’s economic activity.
Ownership Health contains six elements:
1. Digital Identity. If Health 2.0 users interact with the web to exchange information, Health 3.0 users need a provable, verifiable digital identity that allows them to exchange their data. This authenticated ID must be secured with privacy-preserving methods.
2. Self-Sovereign (self-owned) Identity (SSI). The digital identity needs to be self-sovereign, whereby the user must be able to control the data and decide who can use it.
3. Self-Sovereign Data (SSD). Consequently, data too, needs to be self-sovereign. The information in our data belongs to us, and can be used for both non-monetary (reputation, voting) and monetary gains.
4. Tokens and coins. Whether built on their own blockchain (coins) or using another platform (tokens), these digital assets allow the transaction of the value of data directly between the data producer (user) and the information seeker (buyer). These tokens can be exchangeable or unique (Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs).
5. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). Health 3.0 users can organize in personal, professional and scientific DAOs and contribute to their like-minded community in a transparent, peer-to-peer way.
6. Decentralized Finance (DeFi). Ownership Health has a DeFi ecosystem that uses dApps (decentralized Apps) with tokens/coins that are bought or sold (on/off ramps) for “everyday” money (fiat) through exchanges. Users can borrow, lend, invest and insure the value of their data.
Putting it all together…
To illustrate what Health 3.0 looks like, imagine using a dApp called ALLABOUTME with no passwords (thanks to SSI). It already has all the personal information in it, and continually collects Fitbit, Oura, Google, social media, credit card, bank, travel and insurance information.
Users decide what parts of the data they show to their doctor, banker or insurer and they can sell $ALLABOUTME tokens for BTC, ETH or USD to anyone that is interested in buying (like pollsters, marketers, pharmaceutical or insurance companies). They can also donate their data for research.
Users can connect with other ALLABOUTME users in an ALLABOUTME DAO and vote for projects that promote research or access to care. The DAO group can pool the value of the collective data and invest the gains in startup companies of their choice.
In Health 3.0, data is like money. It is personal, private and valuable. It is yours to access whenever, wherever and for whatever reason.
In Ownership Health/Health 3.0, you should earn the benefits from your data, because as it turns out, nothing is more valuable than one’s health.
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Dr. Alex Cahana is a founding partner in ImpactRooms, Blockchain and Healthcare Expert for the UN/CEFACT, venture partner at Global Blockchain Ventures, advisor at Equideum Health and a board member at AdanianLabs Africa and ACHA (Americas Continental Health Alliance).
With over 25 years of clinical experience, including the Department of Defense and the Veterans Health Administration, Dr. Cahana combines deep scientific, technological and financial knowledge. He specializes in Web3 transformation for private and public companies, healthcare organizations, as well as local and federal governments and is active in Africa and LATAM.