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2005
Journal Article
Title
Patient data to go - Germany's national smart card project
Abstract
t's a major challenge getting patients and their data in the same room. As consumers increasingly receive their care from a variety of providers, their health data becomes increasingly dispersed over a variety of facilities. Because quality care depends on providers having complete, up-to-date information, effective communication among care providers is vital. Providers can keep in touch among departments through local area networks and across organizations via the Internet. Germany, like a number of countries around the world, is exploring an additional method of keeping data and patients together: smart cards that consumers carry with them. Currently in the test phase, Germany?s national plan calls for the eventual distribution of up to 85 million cards to consumers and another 400,000 cards to providers by 2006. The consumer cards will carry e-prescriptions, provide basic administrative and health data, and link to patient history. The cards will be protected with high security standards.