Healthcare e-services to remain available after certificates are revoked
A temporary solution will go into effect when the certificates of Estonian ID cards vulnerable to a detected security risk are revoked which will allow doctors, nurses and pharmacists to continue using e-health system services with ID cards whose security certificates have not yet been updated.
The temporary solution will go into effect at once when the Information System Authority (RIA) has announced the revocation of the certificates of the ID cards affected by the security risk, the Ministry of Social Affairs said on Wednesday.
"While it's very important for healthcare workers to complete the remote update of their ID cards, the government is ready to temporarily ensure the availability of services in a situation in which the certificates have been revoked and not all healthcare workers have been able to renew the certificates of their ID card as well," said Katrin Reinhold, head of the Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre.
"Once the alternative solution is launched, the central health information system will also recognize a healthcare worker whose certificates have been revoked, and doctors will still be able to issue digital prescriptions and pharmacists will be able to dispense medications accordingly," she added.
The Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre will run an access system based on a list of healthcare workers from the point the certificates are revoked until Jan. 1, 2018. The list will allow the health information system, the prescription center and the health insurance system to recognize the healthcare workers using an ID card with invalid security certificates as well.
The alternative solution will be used exclusively by the e-health system.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS