Advantages of Greater Speed and Accuracy to Promote Adoption of Smart Card Applications by Healthcare Sector

London , United Kingdom — September 4, 2006 — The benefits of greater speed and accuracy will promote the use of smart cards across the European healthcare sector. The resultant improvements in quality of treatment due to more efficient patient data management, will underline the appeal of healthcare smart cards. At the same time, enhanced interoperability between regional and national healthcare systems will increase reliance on smart cards applications in the healthcare system.

“The need for efficiency in patient data management along with changing demographics demands the implementation of smart cards in healthcare”, says Frost & Sullivan (http://www.healthcareIT.frost.com) Research Analyst Rahul Philip Mampallil. “Moreover, smart card implementation will assist both healthcare professionals and patients in cases of accidents and emergencies, by facilitating immediate access to the patient’s medical data.

The ability to make vital information on patients readily available, especially during emergencies and accidents, will further underline the appeal of smart cards in the healthcare sector. With more areas across the healthcare spectrum set to benefit from the use of smart cards, demand levels are set to surge.

The rapid pace of technological advancement is compelling healthcare administrators to constantly upgrade their existing information systems. This trend will increase healthcare expenditures, which in turn, will discourage investing in new technologies.

“There are a significant number of pilot projects being conducted in certain regions, but their commercialisation has been restrained,” notes Mr. Mampallil. “This relates to the confinement of the various smart card projects to certain regional or national healthcare markets.“

The need to achieve interoperability between operating systems of various regions and countries will support the implementation of a uniform health card. This will help minimise health expenditure in the long term.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the latest analysis of the Healthcare Applications of Smart Cards in Europe (M026- 48) then send an e-mail to Radhika Menon Theodore- Corporate Communications at rmtheodore@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. We will send you the information via email upon receipt of the above information.

Healthcare Applications of Smart Cards in Europe is part of the Healthcare and Life Sciences IT Subscription, which also includes research in the following markets: Clinical Decision Support Systems Markets in Europe ; Hospital Administration Systems Markets in Europe and, Healthcare Provider Enterprise Management Systems. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

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(5/9/06)