Mission possible: Making the Internet safe for private patient information
Mission possible: Making the Internet safe for private patient information
Now you can know for sure who’s who
Ever wonder whom you’re really speaking to in chat rooms on the Internet, or who really wrote the information on a given Web page? As the electronic exchange of patient information grows in its application and moves from individual hospital networks out to the Internet, the importance of knowing with certainty whom you’re communicating with also grows.
Intel Corp. and the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) recently announced their joint effort in creating an APhA-branded digital credential to help pharmacists in using the Internet to communicate with physicians and other health care professionals about prescriptions, drug therapies, and specific patient information. Bob Fulcher, vice president of marketing for AphA, tells Drug Utilization Review, "This new APhA Internet ID will help pharmacists verify their identity on-line so that exchange of information can occur with confidence and security."
The APhA Internet ID, a software application that operates on a PC or laptop, is used to verify pharmacist identification on Internet transactions involving patient information. The software, which creates a "digital certificate," is based first on pharmacists authenticating themselves to APhA. APhA keeps a database of pharmacists, including such information as graduation and licensure data.
"Based on a match of this information, pharmacists can verify themselves to APhA on-line," says Fulcher. "The system, in turn, notifies Intel that the pharmacist has made application for APhA Internet ID. Intel then downloads the credential to the pharmacist’s computer."
Pharmacists do not have to be members of APhA to participate in the service, although the ID will be free to members and will have a nominal fee to nonmembers. "Our goal is to distribute the Internet ID widely and keep barriers to it as low as possible for users," he says.
For receiving physicians to see the Internet ID, the pharmacist and physician must use the same network — the two computers must be able to talk to one another. But the Internet ID itself is not specific to any one network. "Many physicians will use a similar Internet ID, one that’s
created by the American Medical Association, also in conjunction with Intel," he says.
The future is portable
The APhA Internet ID will be portable. Pharmacists will be able to download the certificate to one PC initially, then delete or suspend the certificate and, as need dictates, move it with them to a different practice site. "Unlike other systems that are being developed, ours is portable. Other systems are attached to one browser or one computer. Many are designed to identify a specific Web site or location, not an individual person," explains Fulcher. This system is on-line and works in real time.
"The system is very sensitive to privacy and confidentiality," he says. "Pharmacists can review their profile information each year and make any changes to APhA, as well as state preferences about the release of their information for use in such things as Dear Pharmacist’ letters from pharmaceutical companies."
In addition, the Internet ID is highly secure, he says. "The Internet ID requires a password, and a fraud detection system is built in. When unusual volume is detected, the system reports this to both the pharmacist and to Intel." Additionally, pharmacists can review the use of their credential on-line in much the same way that credit card users can view current status and use of their credit cards on-line.
"One of the outcomes we expect to see with use of the Internet ID is improved patient care," he says. As prescriptions are exchanged on-line and handwritten prescriptions are decreased in number, the number of medication errors should drop, Fulcher says. Additionally, pharmacists and physicians will save the time they would have spent waiting for information and playing phone tag and, as a result, have more time for patient care.
Using the Internet ID will not require additional education on the part of pharmacists, Fulcher said. "It’s very easy to use. If you’re able to download software from the Internet, you’ll be able to use this system."
- Bob Fulcher, Vice President of Marketing, American Pharmaceutical Association, 2215 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20037-2985. Telephone: (202) 628-4410.
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.