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Contactless smart cards 'addressing hospital access problems'
24 Nov 2009

Contactless smart cards are being used to help address the physical access problems encountered by hospital staff in the UK, according to one senior healthcare industry representative.

Holly Sacks, Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Corporate Strategy at HID Global, explains in a column for Info Security Magazine that this growing technology uses encryption to provide different levels of building access to certain staff.

As an example, she says that cardio-thoracic surgeons would need access to the operating theatre, while registrars may need to reach all wards of a hospital - individual contactless smart cards can ensure the staff will be able to get where they need to be by using one card.

Ms Sacks said: "Contactless smart card technology has been used for many years in other industries and is now helping to solve some longstanding thorny issues in the healthcare sector: safeguarding patients and staff and protecting confidential patient information."

Last week the EE Times reported that non-profit organisation Eurosmart has predicted the smart card sector will grow by up to ten per cent next year.