Health data implant chips proposed in Austria

This would be better than the present plan to store the data in the new electronic health databank named ELGA, according to the health spokesman of the opposition Team Stronach party, Markus Franz.

Franz said in an article on the neo-liberalist webpage ortneronline.at, that a chip implant was the only sensible way to handle electronic patient data.

Franz pointed out that while this sounded like science fiction, electronic chips were already being used in medicine, such as in heart pacemakers.

Implants would be useful for several reasons, he said. For one, they would greatly reduce the amount of administrative work needed in medical facilities. Furthermore, “no one could forget the chip at home or lose it, the chip cannot be stolen, it cannot be misused, and everyone would have all of their important medical information with them at all times,” he added.

The Team Stronach politician said that only the data which the patient wanted displayed would be on the implant. The data would remain on the chip, and only be accessible for the duration of medical treatment.

However, Franz did not appear to speak for the rest of his party. In a statement on Monday, party head Kathrin Nachbaur said that while she understood her colleague’s point, as he was a doctor and a scientist, Team Stronach was not in favour of sensitive data being so easily accessible.

http://www.thelocal.at/20140630/health-data-implant-chips-proposed