University Times

A small plastic card with an embedded microchip — dubbed the Healthcare Passport — is being introduced to some 300 UPMC Health Plan members.

The so-called smart card is capable of processing information and storing numerous pages of a patient's vital health and demographic information that will enable better care, quicker retrieval of medical information and fewer billing errors, according to UPMC Health System.

Paramedics and emergency rooms equipped with card readers will be able to access potentially life-saving information about a patient.

The Healthcare Passport also means patients no longer will be required to fill out clipboard forms every time they visit their doctors. A patient's demographic, insurance or basic medical information will be updated at each doctor visit.

The practice of Solano, Fiorillo, Coyle, Schmeltz and Associates is the site of the first phase of the UPMC smart card project.

All Healthcare Passport information is encrypted, that is, in an unreadable format. Each card contains a unique secret "key" that is required for deciphering or decrypting the text. Patients will receive a unique personal identification number required for access to the information. Unauthorized or questionable use of the card will automatically deactivate it.

Patients with smart card readers will be able to access their medical records over the Internet; patients without Internet access will be able to access their information when visiting their doctors.