Steem-Based Autonomous Counseling Applications could Transform Society
I have an idea for developing an application on top of Steem that could be used to create a counseling ecosystem that benefits mental health professionals and those that use their services. This new application would free these professions the byzantine politics, technologies, and ethical standards that currently plague them. It would radically transform how the field works and possibly alter the face of society.
Imagine using the Steem blockchain to create and store contracts and other information between mental health professionals and their clientele. This hypothetical application would leverage private posts or forums where counselors and even life coaches could work with their clients unimpeded, and which are kept as anonymous as possible.
It is true that cyber counseling is already a fad, but blockchain technology could greatly enhance that area. Important case management documentation and confidentiality information could be stored anonymously on the blockchain if it was done properly (although I am not sure how this would work or if I am accurate in saying this).
I do know, however, that sites like "Proof of Existence" can already store documentation on the Blockchain in a more secretive way. Marriage contracts, prenuptial agreements, and even more private documents are already gaining popularity for blockchain storage.
So why not medical or mental health documentation too?
What's as important---or more important than this feature---is that exchange of value between professional and client could take place using cryptocurrency tokens.
A Counseling Application could Take Advantage of Steem; The Sky is the Limit
All the exchanges of value on this Steem-based application could happen with SBD's, and the application could otherwise take advantage of the economic system that Steemit already employs.
It would just be a matter of creating the forums or "cyber counselor rooms" over the blockchain. I am not a developer by any stretch of the imagination, but this seems like a pretty simple application to build.
When I wrote regularly for Bitcoin.com, I wrote about a similar idea that revolved creating a smart contract based application using ethereum. This is still a possibility, but now that Steem exists, it might be the better blockchain since its economic system is so multi functional and caters to these types of ideas.
But regardless of what economic system it leverages, the sky is the limit. A decentralized autonomous counseling company (DACC) could really work magic for society, because it's my belief that these professions need to start moving into the future. They need to give a more diverse population cheaper and more efficient access to counseling and life coaching services. And they need less red tape and bureaucratic intervention.
Photo taken from Steemit.com
Additional problems a DACC could Solve and Final Thoughts
In conclusion, I want to provide a few additional problems that blockchain based counseling could address:
- Make referrals for counselors easier to discover
- Make cyber and real-world counseling transactions more integrated
- Reduce inefficiency and eliminate many third parties in counseling scenarios
- Reduce costs for all parties and stakeholders involved
- Make access to certain documentation easier
- Ability to use escrow transactions or multi-sig transactions in counseling easier to use
- Blockchain technology and other algorithms could work as a private method to hold counselors accountable for malpractice, rather than government agencies and gatekeepers
- Make collaboration, supervision, and caseload management easier and more transparent for other professionals and stakeholders
- Speedier transactions of value all around
- More payment options or exchanges of value
If any developers happen to chance by this article and think my idea has merit, feel free to give me a shout out. I would not mind working with someone to help bring a project like this to fruition.
This quote represents the perfect illustration of what we are all involved as a community in trying to accomplish:
“Bitcoin is just one example of something that uses a blockchain. Cryptocurrencies are just one example of decentralized technologies. And now that the Internet is big enough and diverse enough, I think we will see different flavors of decentralized technologies and blockchains. I think decentralized networks will be the next huge wave in technology. The blockchain allows our smart devices to speak to each other better and faster.” --Melanie Swan
My name is Sterlin. Follow me @ Psychologic-Anarchist. I also run the Psychologic-Anarchist Facebook page and produce many YouTube videos. My interests lie in the intersection of counseling psychology and anarchism. I write about the depredations of psychiatry, and also the new philosophy of compassionate anarchism. We have a large community devoted to discussing psychology and relational voluntaryism.
Nice thought, though I'm not sure if I'd want my mental health sessions stored on the blockchain...
Good thought. But perhaps whole sessions wouldn't be stored. And in theory, certain information could remain anonymous. I am sure there is a more specific technical workaround that I have not considered yet. Any additional ideas?
I've nothing constructive to add at the moment, but pegged this as "watch this space". Like I said, nice idea, it's just all so permanent.
the data could be stored and only unlocked when you apply your specific key to it, just like your /posting key that authorizes upvotes, etc. You could create the medical file encrypted by your /owner key.
I'm not an expert with this and what could be done, but I know it would be possible and rather trivial to do.
Very, very cool concept!
This could have applications for decentralized medical professions as well, providing a record-tracking & sharing mechanism along with 'proof of ability/skill' through reputation management.
This is soooo needed in civilization right now!
Yes! You get the spirit of my idea. Great thought with the integration of the reputation systems. You see, I didn't even consider that, but that idea has wide-ranging consequences.
Imagine counseling token! ;)
I love this idea, and I see a huge market for it right now today. Most people never seek out help for so many different reasons. We build more outlets for people, we build out a better world.
Privacy would be paramount, but maybe someday Dan or someone else can build a privacy layer, kind of like what Zcash is doing. It'd enable so many solutions as much of our lives need to be private for one reason or another.
Yep. I think privacy-centric protocols will be the wave of the future for professional and more sensitive industries. I hope we can build these type of programs on top of blockchains. If so, I could see ideas like these taking off. Thanks for the comment, Derek. Much appreciated.
Nice thought @sterlinluxan