The Role of the Blockchain Technology in the Elderly Care Solutions: A Systematic Mapping Study

The incorporation of technology in the improvement of health care for the elderly is identified as a potential strategy that maximizes the effectiveness of the provision of health services, generating a higher quality of life for older adults. However, an important health general concern is the security and data privacy. Thus, blockchain technologies are an opportunity for supporting them in this kind of solutions. However, due to lack of an unified knowledge about how blockchain could be applied, we present a systematic mapping study (SMS), in order to understand from primary studies as blockchain technology is supporting care solutions for the elderly. We selected Springer, ACM Digital Library, Scopus, IEEE Explore, and Direct of Science databases, which are consistent with the discipline of study. Among the main findings are different types of Blockchain that are being applied in many ways to positively support aspects of the healthcare solutions, such as in the registration, consultation and transmission of sensitive data, time banks, smart home sensor, wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN), user login, Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), telemedicine in solutions combined with IoT or supported cognitive, physical therapy and others.