Haiti - Technology : Smart cards for medical services ?
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is considering the implementation of smart cards, to "facilitate tracking and referral" in Haiti. The Agency specifies that it is "conducting market research to gather information about how electronic smart cards might be used by a large, but yet-to-be determined segment of the Haitian people to facilitate tracking and referral within health care networks in Haiti."
It is envisioned that the introduction of such cards will facilitate the implementation of a medical referral system by reducing or eliminating data base duplication in patient records. Notionally, the cards would be used in conjunction with web-based electronic medical records, and they would include name, date of birth, address, patient identification number, photo, and fingerprints. The mode of implementation for the new smart cards is yet to be determined, but possibilities could include embedding the information in standard credit card-sized IDs or housing it in the patient’s cell phone.
