A medical organization in the U.S. that dates back hundreds of years is embarking on a blockchain pilot.

The Medical Society of Delaware, first formed in 1776, has revealed it will build a proof-of-concept focusing on the pre-authorization process for care providers and medical insurers. By improving the efficiency of that step, the society said it hopes care can be delivered more quickly.

As a further benefit, the trial will also create a chain of patient records that can be accessed by insurers and medical care providers.

Partnering on the project is healthcare tech startup Medscient, which itself leverages technology developed by blockchain-focused startup Symbiont.

Andrew Dahlke, vice president of the Medical Society of Delaware, said in a statement:

Those involved with the project are due to make a presentation at the Medicaid Enterprise Systems Conference, to be held later this month in Baltimore, Maryland.

The news comes shortly after Delaware became the first U.S. state to pass a law allowing the use of blockchain to create and store business records, including stock ledgers – an effort that was first unveiled in 2016.

Medical files image via Shutterstock