Communications and EHR: authenticating who's who is vital

It is becoming increasingly essential for individuals to be able uniquely to identify themselves and each other, even where they may never meet. Access to and use of privileges of membership, whether of a professional association, computer network or health insurance policy depends upon the ‘members’ being able to prove that they are who they say they are, frequently from a remote location. Patients must be able both to claim their entitlements (e.g. insurance) and assemble their confidential medical records wherever they are. Providers must be able to access secured services and assert their privileges (e.g. issue prescriptions). Institutions must be able to recognise both patients and providers and accord them their due rights and privileges. To do this proof positive of who's who is essential. Individuals need to be able to identify themselves quickly and easily as ‘club’ members, this could be addressed by establishing sector-wide unique identifier (UI) systems, although UI systems raise specific security issues.