Alliance Outlines Need For Smart Card-Based Healthcare Identity Management Infrastructure Leveraging Existing Federal Standards

  • Oct 09, 2009

Government policy makers and healthcare stakeholders looking to establish electronic medical records (EMRs) to improve the U.S. healthcare system should look first to defining the identity management infrastructure for securely identifying patients, medical providers and anyone else handling the records, stated the Smart Card Alliance Healthcare and Identity Councils in a position paper issued recently. To this end, the Councils recommend the use of existing federal standards for smart cards to create a trusted identity management infrastructure.

The passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and HITECH Act gave impetus for the Smart Card Alliance to create the paper to elevate the discussion about identity management before the federal government begins to invest over $19 billion in healthcare information technology. This investment will provide significant incentives for healthcare providers to implement EMR systems over the next five years. The Alliance argues that these plans that emphasize electronic health record exchange are putting the cart before the horse, and effective identity management is needed first.

“As we move away from paper-based medical records that are controlled by physical access to buildings, rooms, and files, we need to have a healthcare infrastructure that supports strong identity and security controls,” said Paul Contino, chair of the Smart Card Alliance Healthcare Council and vice president of information technology with Mount Sinai Medical Center “The issues with establishing identity are compounded as electronic medical records are used by many different organizations at the regional, state, and national levels. There must be a way to uniquely and securely authenticate each person across the healthcare infrastructure, whether that interaction is in person or over the Internet.”

The Smart Card Alliance paper discusses the current challenges facing the healthcare IT infrastructure and details why smart cards provide the most cost efficient, secure, and user-accepted method for solving the healthcare identity management problem. It also explains how smart card technology can help make the critical capabilities needed in the healthcare infrastructure both possible and cost-effective. It can also provide an ideal way to achieve HIPAA compliance and meet the more stringent regulatory requirements of ARRA / HITECH.

“The lack of consistent and uniform identity management is at the root of the challenges faced by the healthcare industry today -- lowering administrative costs, preventing medical identity theft and fraud, protecting patient privacy, and enabling healthcare data exchanges. In fact, of the 195,000 deaths in the United States that occur annually due to medical errors, 60 percent of those were because of failure to correctly identify the patient,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. “Creating a healthcare identity management infrastructure based on smart card technology directly addresses these problems because it enables the ability to properly identify patients and healthcare providers, match healthcare records, and identify individuals and healthcare providers that have authorized access to them.”

In addition to the use of smart cards, the Healthcare and Identity Councils advise the healthcare industry to take the opportunity to leverage and build upon existing federal initiatives and standards, such as the NIST Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 and the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, which are already in use by numerous government agencies. These existing standards are proven technology solutions and an established set of best practices for smart card-based identity management and authentication that can be adapted to healthcare.

“NIST standards, and the Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (F/ICAM) committee vision and framework on identity management provide the foundation for the healthcare industry to jump-start the definition of a national healthcare identity management infrastructure and provide a proven model for interoperability across multiple organizations,” Vanderhoof said

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.