Smart cards are becoming increasingly important in the health sector. They facilitate the administration of patient data and accounting for medical services rendered. Because they are easy to use, they also contribute to cushioning the cost explosion that is taking place in the health sector. So far, France has been using smart cards most extensively in this field. In 1998 and 1999, around 42 million insurance cards, under the name of "Carte Vitale", were distributed to the population there. All individual data necessary for administration and accounting in the health sector are contained in the cards. The system, called "SESAM-Vitale", in this way offers safe electronic data exchange between doctors and health insurance companies.

CETECOM supported the introduction of this system with a broad range of services for card-reading terminals as can be found, for example, in doctors' practices, and is also continuing to monitor and support its expansion.

CETECOM's Smart Card Terminals laboratory is accredited by the French Health card organisation "GIE SESAM-Vitale" to perform debug and approval tests on terminals according to the following specifications:

• 'Référentiel Terminal Lecteur' with or without 'TLA' option (Terminal Lecteur Applicatif)
• 'Référentiel Dispositif Intégré' for all families including "Prescripteur" (PR) and "Auxiliaire Médical" (AM)
• 'Réferentiel Télémise à jour'
• 'Référentiel Lecture Vitale'