Healthcare information systems using digital signature and synchronized smart cards via the Internet

Abstract

This research paper presents a new two-way double-type smart card terminal and a new system design and development for a prescription order communication system (POCS) between the hospital and pharmacy, based on the Internet, public-key infrastructure (PKI), and concurrently parallel co-operation with both medical professional and patient smart cards in synchronized status, in order to control security and privacy of patients and manage drug histories. A concurrently parallel co-operation method in synchronized status has been proposed in order to merge the digital signature generated by a medical professional with a patient's prescription data. The digital signatures written by the medical professionals (doctors and pharmacists) holding and using their individually master smart cards are applied to all contents of the prescription stored on a patient slave smart card in synchronized status in the two-way double-type terminal. Therefore, digital signatures for all prescriptions stored on the smart card should effectively be used to prevent it being altered, forged, or reused by unauthorized users and being repudiated by medical professionals.