Electronic health card: Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

In recent years, information and communications technology (ICT) has been able to penetrate in the various fields of medical science and healthcare and has an important role in improving social health. In this regard the electronic health card (eHC) project has been introduced that is a replacement for insurance booklet and some countries have implemented eHC system. Electronic health card will have many benefits including, reducing the number of clerical and paper processes, costs, medical errors, more accurate follow-up of cases, integrity of patient information, eliminating the problem of illegible prescriptions, etc. Of course, this card also has challenges and obstacles. This paper first introduced the electronic health card and its benefits. Then the challenges of implementing this system will be examined and we will provide solutions for some of these challenges.