Health records and current technology evolve at a high rate. Smart cards have an enormous impact on healthcare records and nursing practice. The quick evolution of this sector poses a threat to the skills and changes of adaptation required by medical personnel. Implementation of the use of smart cards and electronic health records is an expensive endeavor. The acquisition and maintenance cost of computer systems is also very expensive. Setting up the computers to consistently communicate with each other requires sophisticated hardware and software. The existing medical databases are susceptible to hacking, thus risking the privacy of patients’ information.
Advantages of Smart Cards in Healthcare
There are many applications of smart cards in the healthcare sector that are used to meet the privacy requirements of healthcare systems. Protecting an individual’s healthcare information is a primary concern for practitioners and patients (Smart Card Alliance).
Biometrics in medical healthcare systems increases the confidentiality and security of patient information. The cost of managing a variety of passwords is significantly reduced.
Earlier, medical books were issued to patients, which posed a privacy concern to family members and relatives. Patients desire their health information to be shared with the physician. Biometrics provides the security of information that is kept away from unwanted family members.
Smart cards can benefit individuals, hospitals, and care providers. They offer a valid platform for implementing applications that tend to improve access to important medical care. Smart cards ensure that healthcare practitioners have linked IDs that offer secure access to private information. Because of this, important and private data cannot be leaked to hackers and unauthorized people.
Similarly, healthcare professionals can access and update information. The use of smart cards facilitates verifying patient data and allows instant access to the needed information. Smart cards can also help prevent errors that may arise due to misinformation and lack of communication between healthcare providers.
