Accessing Emergency Medical Information
Certain medical information makes the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. The combination of patient smart cards and EMT carried card readers has the potential to save thousands of lives every year. Access to emergency medical information, however, raises challenging security and technical issues.

Accessing Medical History
Because smart cards cannot store a patient’s complete medical history, such information will have to be stored in an online database. Access to a patient’s data requires both the patient’s permission and provider authentication (for the audit trail). Smart card technology can support both requirements.

Accessing Personal Information
Health care providers often require certain personal information, such as a patient’s name, address, telephone number, or nearest relative. Generally, this information is provided by the patient in written form and then entered into a computer system; a process that is tedious for both patient and provider. Its also error-prone. Smart cards can make this process easier and more accurate, allowing the data to be stored on the card and retrieved as needed, rather than recreated at each opportunity.

Accessing Insurance Information
Health care providers generally require information about insurance for both emergency and routine (non-emergency) care. Smart cards can store this information and provide it as required.

Authorizing Decisions Electronically
Like providers, patients must frequently provide signatures authorizing certain decisions; such as decisions about care or payment. The issue of paperless provider signatures applies equally well to patients, with the exception that patients, who use their cards less, may have more difficulty remembering the password required to authorize a digital signature.

Controlling Initial Card Possession
Secure issuance is the basis of all smart card security. This requirement poses some difficulties for patient cards. Currently, both paper and plastic patient cards are issued based on information provided by the patient on paper forms submitted to a health care insurer or provider. The insurer or provider then issues the card, generally through the mail. This process is very convenient for the patient but is not very secure.

Summary
Smart cards can be an instrumental component of any system that is designed to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations. Smart cards can also provide significant clinical and administrative benefits that extend beyond HIPAA requirements.

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