Fraunhofer study backs German smartcard plans
Germany’s health smartcard project uses up-to-date technology and is suitable to guarantee both data security and accessibility. This is the key message of a new study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS). The Fraunhofer scientists did their analysis for the working group 7 of the National IT Summit, a joint effort […]
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German government unveils smartcard costs
The German ministry of health has issued details on recent and estimated future costs of the healthcare smartcard project in response to a parliamentary inquiry, initiated by the Liberal Democrats (FDP). Germany’s current government is made up of a ‘grand coalition’ of Conservatives and Social Democrats, with the FDP as the leading opposition party. The […]
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Mobile health and EPR feature at CeBIT
CeBIT in Hannover is the biggest consumer IT show in the world, and is the place for laptop-maniacs, iPod-addicts and sat nav junkies to get their techno-fix. But as well as gadgets, it is also becoming a key place to watch out for e-health innovations. While the main show runs from 4-9 March, a special […]
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Insurance companies to pay doctors for smartcards
After a year of negotiations, German health insurance companies have agreed to pay doctors for the smartcard readers and software upgrades that the new German healthcare smartcards necessitate. The German ministry of health has recently increased its pressure on insurance companies and doctors, following an announcement that the smartcard rollout will start later this year. […]
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German ID card to allow pseudonyms
The German Home Office has confirmed that a new electronic identity card for German citizens will incorporate the use of pseudonyms for secure web access. According to the plans of the German Home Office, a credit card sized electronic identity card will be introduced in 2009. It will replace the larger, non-electronic identity cards currently […]
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Gemalto to deliver Slovenia’s smartcard upgrade
Slovenia has chosen Gemalto to help develop its upgrade to their electronic health cards for Slovenian citizens. Gemalto will provide the Slovenian health service with its Coesys Issuance solution, which consists of middleware, digital signature capabilities, software applications, applets and cards. They will work together with Slovenian suppliers Cetis, who will provide the personalisation of […]
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National media attention for anti-smartcard group
In Germany this week doctors and civil rights activists joined forces to organise a boycott of the German smartcard programme, attracting huge media interest, including national TV. The new alliance went public last Friday with a joint press conference at which it proclaimed the explicit goal of halting the smartcard health programme and move to […]
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Two pharmacy PHR projects launched in Germany
Two new pilots are underway to offer pharmacy personal health records (PHRs) in Germany. Both are based on a PHR including details of current medication and offer patients the potential to offer prescription ordering online. In the first of the two projects e-health vendor CompuGroup is partnering with the pioneering Dutch mail-order pharmacy DocMorris to […]
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SCM card terminal MKT+ certified
SCM Microsystems has received certification for its eHealth100 health card terminal to be used as an MKT+ terminal (multi-functional terminal) from Gematik, the organisation overseeing the implementation of the electronic health card program in Germany. It follows its approval to participate in phase one of the field tests for the electronic health card programme in […]
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Austrian hospitals get fingerprint biometrics
Austria’s biggest private hospital chain, the ‘Barmherzige Brüder’, is to begin using biometric fingerprinting to control access to IT systems. Once live, doctors and nurses will no longer have to remember a password to log onto the hospital information system (HIS). The ‘Barmherzige Brüder’ (merciful brothers) run nine hospitals in Austria, all of which will […]
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