College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Hashed Health partner to develop innovative system to verify graduation credentials using blockchain technology
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
Lipscomb University’s College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, through its partnership with Nashville’s Hashed Health, has developed an innovative blockchain-based system that allows graduates and potential employers to verify the academic credentials of its health care informatics and pharmacy students.
This Gateway Project pioneers the use of the Ethereum platform to harness the efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability of blockchain technology to deliver these benefits. Ethereum is a decentralized platform for applications that run exactly as programmed without any chance of fraud, censorship or third-party interference.
This blockchain solution also has the potential of helping combat the increasingly common problem of job applicants claiming academic credentials they have not actually earned. A recent CareerBuilder survey of hiring managers indicated that 28 percent of job applicants use false information regarding their academic history.
"I am excited to see how this technology will create opportunities for our current and future students and alumni as well as providing a unique assurance to employers that a degree from Lipscomb is verifiable with unprecedented levels of accuracy and speed," said Roger Davis, dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.
“This is just another way that blockchain technology is being integrated into many aspects of society from healthcare solutions to cancer research to academic and professional credential verification. I think we will continue to see this technology used in innovative ways to make life better for all of us.”
Lipscomb University will be the first institution of higher education in the nation to verify health care informatics student and pharmacy student graduation using blockchain technology and among the first to use Ethereum blockchain technology to create this type of service for its students.
Unlike the underlying blockchain technology for Bitcoin, this graduate verification blockchain solution is built upon the Ethereum platform, which was created to be more versatile and has smart contract and decentralized application capabilities. The Ethereum blockchain technology is supported by established groups such as the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), which boasts over 150 members including Merck, Microsoft, J.P. Morgan and Samsung SDS.
Earlier this year, Lipscomb’s College of Pharmacy was the first academic institution to join the Hashed Health Consortium. Based in Nashville, the center for health care with more than 4,000 health care businesses, Hashed Health is a healthcare innovation company leveraging blockchain and distributed ledger technologies for transformation in the healthcare industry. This is the first blockchain-based solution to emerge from this partnership.
“Hashed Health is enthusiastic about expanding its collaborative work with Lipscomb University to help tackle problems around graduate medical education verification,” said John Bass, CEO of Hashed Health. “Lipscomb’s progressive, student-centric approach will serve as an example of the power of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies.”
About Lipscomb University
Founded in 2007, the Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and offers a four-year program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Its graduates place in the top 10 percent of all colleges of pharmacy with their most recent NAPLEX scores at an average of 96.10 percent pass rate. Its students have also achieved an overall 97 percent pass rate on the MPJE exam. In addition, Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy graduates have a 100 percent job placement rate. Recently, the college’s graduate program in health care informatics was ranked No. 11 in the nation by Healthcare Administration Degree Programs. For more information, visit pharmacy.lipscomb.edu.
About Hashed Health
Hashed Health is a healthcare innovation firm focused on accelerating the meaningful development of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies. To empower its partner clients, Hashed Health provides value-added services such as product management, product development, regulatory guidance, and technology support services for blockchain solutions and blockchain networks. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Hashed Health’s healthcare experts focus on making sure the business problem drives the appropriate technical solution. We help members launch new industry level solutions more effectively and at lower cost. We also provide exposure to existing networks who are actively exploring, piloting, or using blockchain solutions. More information can be found at http://www.hashedhealth.com/ or by emailing join [at] hashedhealth.com.