Computer chips for patients launched (From Borehamwood Times)

Computer chips for patients launched

9:39am Thursday 13th September 2007

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An invention to store health records on a portable wallet-sized card has been launched at a surgery in Radlett this week.

The Red House Surgery, in Watling Street, is one of six GP surgeries across the country that have installed equipment to allow their patients to carry a healtheCard which can store all data from personal health records. It is due to be used at the surgery's other branch in Andrew Close, Shenley, soon.

The healtheCard took three years to create by a company based in Stanmore and contains a memory chip that can carry personal information, appointment times and all medical files including prescription details, immunisations and x-ray images.

Co-creator of healtheCard, Jul Cornbluth, said: "The idea came to myself and my wife Elaine about three years ago when my wife's mother was diagnosed with two different health conditions at the same time.

"She was seeing a number of health consultants and in theory the health information on both these conditions should have been passed onto her GP, but there was a huge delay in this actually happening.

"I have a background in IT and my wife has a background in marketing and together, along with our partner in this project, Dr David Krasner, we have worked to manufacture a card that can be used on an everyday basis for GP or hospital appointments but could also potentially save lives in an emergency."

The card can be used in any location in the world where there is a computer and can be updated regularly with recent health information at a patient's GP surgery.

Practice manager of the Red House Surgery, Ken Spooner, said: "The card is obviously useful for when you're at home but also when you are abroad.

"For instance, if you have an accident while you're on holiday then a doctor that is treating you can check all your medical history from the card including allergies and from there it can be decided on how best to treat you.

"The doctors at the surgery are all behind this and we are now installed and ready to go."

Spokesman for healtheCard, Heath Hollinsworth, said: "We anticipate that this is something that people will have in the future and will in time be as commonplace as mobile phones are today."

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