Everybody throws around the term "blockchain" these days, like it's some secret sauce. But smart contracts are where things actually start to get interesting. Forget endless forms and relying on someone's handshake; smart contracts handle things automatically. They're just coded agreements that trigger themselves no middlemen, no second-guessing if someone's being honest. You know what you're getting. This review looks at how smart contracts are changing the game in two touchy areas: healthcare and voting, where trust and privacy can't be taken lightly. Dealing with healthcare is usually a hassle. People lose records, insurance companies bounce you around, and privacy feels flimsy. With smart contracts, you're in charge of your data, claims happen faster, and private info stays private. Doctors can share what they need to, without breaking the rules. Voting? It's had trust issues forever people aren't sure their votes count for anything. Smart contracts clean things up. They make voting more transparent, help stop fraud, and lock down the results. You can check your ballot and know nobody's changing numbers behind the scenes. Of course, it's not all smooth sailing blockchain slows down when things get big, laws haven't caught up, some of the interfaces are confusing, and big organizations don't like change. This paper covers what works, what needs help, and where things could go next.
Parmar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.