Embleema PatientTruth - Blockchain Platform for Patient Data Management
Sector: Secondary sector · Industry: Pharmaceutical industry · Organisation: Embleema · Maturity level: Pilot
Embleema developed PatientTruth, an Ethereum-based blockchain platform that enables patients to consolidate their health data from various sources while maintaining complete control over data sharing. The platform launched in July 2018 as a public beta after one year of development and allows integration of HL7 documents and Fitbit data. Patients can securely share their data with pharmaceutical companies and health authorities while receiving token rewards for their data contributions.
Documentation status
- Project status: Pilot
- Evidence: Evidence medium
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
Embleema launched a blockchain-based platform where patients can securely store their health data and selectively share it for clinical research. The platform positions patients as active research partners rather than passive data providers.
The problem in clinical research: 80% of all clinical trials are delayed because not enough patients can be recruited in time. At the same time, millions of patients have health data relevant for research but no secure, transparent way to share it. Embleema solves both problems: patients create a blockchain-secured health profile; pharmaceutical companies and research institutions can make targeted requests (e.g., patients with a specific diagnosis, age group, medication history); patients explicitly decide whether to participate and which data to share. Smart contracts control data access; all accesses are logged and revocable. FDA engagement: Embleema data is directly recognised in the regulatory approval process — significantly accelerating market entry approval. PMC study (NCBI, 2024) on blockchain in the pharmaceutical industry identifies Embleema as a leading example of patient-centred research data.
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Pharmaceutical companies and CROs can dramatically accelerate study recruitment through Embleema: direct access to verified, consent-ready patients with specific profiles — FDA-recognised data infrastructure.
B2C — consumers perspective
For the first time, patients gain full control over their health data and can monetise it by selling access to their valuable information. The platform enables them to consolidate their complete health profile from various sources and transparently track who accesses which data and when.
Employees perspective
Medical researchers and data analysts benefit from simplified access to high-quality, real-world patient data without complex approval procedures. The automated smart contract system significantly reduces administrative effort and enables real-time data analysis for faster research outcomes.
Benefits
General
- Patients gain full control and ownership of their health data with the possibility of targeted monetisation.
- Blockchain technology ensures immutable audit trails and the highest data security for sensitive health information.
- Pharmaceutical companies gain ethically sound access to high-quality real-world data for accelerated research and development.
B2B — organisations
- Companies can interact directly with patients and obtain high-quality data for clinical studies without complex intermediaries.
B2C — consumers
- Patients receive financial compensation for their valuable health data and can actively participate in medical research.
Employees
- Researchers and data analysts benefit from automated data access processes and can focus on their core work instead of administrative tasks.
Challenges
General
- The high technical complexity requires specialised blockchain developers with expertise in health data standards and data protection regulations.
- Acceptance among traditionally conservative healthcare organisations and integration into existing systems poses a significant challenge.
B2B — organisations
- Pharmaceutical companies must fundamentally rethink their existing data management processes and invest in new blockchain infrastructure.
B2C — consumers
- Patients need to develop a basic understanding of blockchain technology and data protection to make informed decisions about sharing their data.
Employees
- Medical professionals must familiarise themselves with new blockchain-based systems and adapt their workflows to decentralized data structures.
Technology foundation
The platform is based on the Ethereum blockchain and uses smart contracts to manage data access permissions and authorisations. This technology is particularly well suited for health data as it enables an immutable audit log of all data accesses and gives patients full control over their data.
Implementation examples
Embleema PatientTruth Beta Launch
The company wanted to solve the fundamental problem that patients have no control over their valuable health data and cannot monetise it for medical research. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies should gain direct, ethical access to high-quality real-world data.
Embleema launched the public beta version of their blockchain platform for patient-controlled health data management in July 2018.
After a year of intensive research and development, Embleema launched PatientTruth in July 2018 as the first HIPAA-compliant blockchain for electronic health records. The Ethereum-based decentralized application allows patients to upload HL7 Continuity of Care Documents and Fitbit data and manage them via smart contracts. The system provides a distributed ledger for patient data sources, automated access control, and security keys for authorised data access.
The solution addressed the lack of patient control over health data, complex approval procedures for research data, and lack of transparency in data access. Additionally, the problem of data silos in healthcare was solved by consolidating various data sources.
Tags
Patient data, Blockchain, Data protection, Clinical trials, Smart contracts