[Past, present and future of optical cards for medical use]

In the hospital, the chart is an important medical information record. However, it is not easy to refer to chart records. Although a computer is useful in referring to the chart, the most critical defect is the lack of exchangeability between hospitals. An optical card is a new medium for medical use. It has a large capacity for electronic storage, low price and high security. Therefore, the author considers this card a second medical chart. As another card, there is the IC card, which has some limitations in medical use. Although both systems are being examined experimentally, there is no actual practice in the medical field. The reason for this lack of wide use, it is thought that these systems are not yet supported by national health insurance.