[Application of patient card technology to health care]

The potential benefits of patient card technology in improving management and delivery of health services have been explored. Patient cards can be used for numerous applications and functions: as a means of identification, as a key for an insurance payment system, and as a communication medium. Advanced card technologies allow for the storage of data on the card, creating the possibility of a comprehensive and portable patient record. There are many types of patient cards: paper or plastic cards, microfilm cards, bar-code cards, magnetic-strip cards and integrated circuit smart-cards. Choosing the right card depends on the amount of information to be stored, the degree of security required and the cost of the cards and their supporting infrastructure. Problems with patient cards are related to storage capacity, backup and data consistency, access authorization and ownership and compatibility. We think it is worth evaluating the place of patient card technology in the delivery of health services in Israel.