The smart card: an ideal tool for a computer-based patient record.

: Over the past decades, technology has advanced in all areas. Medical documentation, however, has not altered considerably. This means that medical care is often below standard. This article tries to point out how healthcare could benefit from a computer-based medical record. It also discusses the use of a medical smart card as a computer-based patient record--exemplified by the European DIABCARD-project which develops a chip card for persons with diabetes.