title: Purposes of health identification cards and role of a secure access platform (Be-Health) in Belgium.
abstract: Although other alternatives may exist, identification cards have been chosen as an acceptable and adequate tool to be used to identify patients and health professionals. It is planned to use these for digital signature and for access to electronic health records: for searching various databases as well as for health information exchange. Local applications might exist independently, but the Belgian federal state has now developed Be-Health, a platform for health professionals, social security personnel and the general public, designed to facilitate a secure common uniform access to certain health data.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Informatique Médicale, Health Services Research, Ecole de Santé Publique de l'Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. frf@skynet.be
authors.forename: Francis H Roger
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: France
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bangels
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Clercq
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D001530:Belgium; D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000592:standards*; D010355:Patient Identification Systems / Q000592:standards*; D012637:Security Measures