BENEFIT AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF COMPUTERIZED HEALTH CARDS - A CASE-STUDY

The main aim of this paper is to discuss the benefits and risks related to the introduction of Computerized cards in the Health sector. More particularly, the text focuses on the vulnerability of the card system. This vulnerability principally concerns the problem of medical information confidentiality and data security. This constitutes a major controversy in the Health cards debate within Europe, involving a series of social actors and technological products. To trace some landmarks for the discussions, we will begin by presenting briefly the European context of Health cards. Next, a ''social map'' will be established, including a description of Health cards' technical features (advantages and vulnerability), and their relations to different social actors. In a more concrete and systematic way, we will report on a case study of the benefits and risks for patients, healthcare professionals, health organizations, social security institutions, etc. These observations are issued from interdisciplinary research we have carried out since September 1992 at the University of Namur 1 jointly with the Haematology department of a large hospital in the region. Finally we will propose a methodological approach to risk assessment including seven criteria, in order to evaluate and forecast the impacts of Health card implementation.