Machine readable cards - Health care applications - Cards: General characteristics

This European Standard specifies directly or by reference the requirements for cards used for health care, health care coverage or health care entitlement. This European Standard specifies the physical characteristics of cards and the recording techniques, but not the security requirements. It defines the area on each side of the surface of the card allocated to each type of media.

Maschinenlesbare Karten - Anwendungen im Gesundheitswesen - Karten: Allgemeine Eigenschaften

Diese Europäische Norm legt direkt oder bezugnehmend die Anforderungen an Karten für das Gesundheitswesen und für Sozialversicherungstransaktionen fest. Diese Europäische Norm legt die physikalischen Eigenschaften von Karten und Aufzeichnungstechniken, nicht jedoch die Sicherheitsanforderungen fest. Sie definiert auf der Oberfläche jeder Kartenseite den Bereich, der dem entsprechenden Medientyp zugeordnet ist.

Cartes lisibles par machine - Applications pour la santé - Cartes: Caractéristiques générales

La présente norme européenne spécifie directement ou par référence les prescriptions à respecter par les cartes utilisées pour gérer des soins, et assurer la gestion administrative dans le domaine de la santé. La présente norme européenne spécifie les caractéristiques physiques des cartes et les méthodes d'enregistrement, mais pas les conditions de sécurité. Elle définit la zone de la surface de chaque face de la carte attribuée à chacun des supports de données.

Machine readable cards - Health care applications - Cards: General characteristics

General Information

Status
Published
Publication Date
31-May-1998
ICS
35.240.15 - Identification cards. Chip cards. Biometrics
Technical Committee
BFS - Banking and related financial services
Current Stage
6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
Start Date
01-Jun-1998
Due Date
01-Jun-1998
Completion Date
01-Jun-1998
Ref Project
EN 1387:1996 - Machine readable cards - Health care applications - Cards: General characteristics

Overview

EN 1387:1996 is a CEN European Standard that specifies the general characteristics of machine-readable cards for health care applications. The standard sets out requirements for cards used for health care, health care coverage and health care entitlement. It addresses the physical characteristics, recording techniques and the allocation of media areas on each side of the card surface. EN 1387:1996 does not specify security requirements.

This standard is intended for stakeholders involved in the design, manufacture, procurement and deployment of health care cards as part of interoperable health systems.

Key Topics

  • Physical characteristics: general requirements for card construction and presentation that support consistent handling and use across health care environments.
  • Recording techniques: provisions for the types of readable media and how data is recorded on the card surface (magnetic, printed, or other media as defined by the issuing authority).
  • Media allocation: definition of the surface areas on each side of the card allocated to different media types, enabling consistent layout and machine readability.
  • Scope limitations: the standard explicitly excludes security specifications (e.g., cryptographic controls or authentication mechanisms), which must be addressed by complementary standards or national regulations.

Keywords: machine readable cards, health care cards, recording techniques, physical characteristics, media allocation, coverage, entitlement, interoperability.

Applications

EN 1387:1996 provides practical value for a range of real-world activities:

  • Card issuers (health insurers, government agencies) can use the standard to define card form factors and recording options for eligibility or entitlement programs.
  • Manufacturers and suppliers of card materials, printers and encoding equipment can align production and testing to ensure consistent physical and media layouts.
  • Procurement teams can reference EN 1387 when specifying card requirements, ensuring compatibility across systems and vendors.
  • Systems integrators and health IT teams can plan for interoperability by relying on standardized card surface allocation and recording practices, while addressing security through complementary standards.

Related Standards

EN 1387:1996 is part of the broader ecosystem of identification and card standards. Users typically refer to other international and national standards for additional details such as card dimensions, electronic interfaces or security requirements. National adoptions (for example, national implementations or translations) may reference EN 1387 as the baseline for health care card general characteristics.

For implementation, combine EN 1387 guidance on physical and recording characteristics with relevant technical and security standards chosen by the issuing authority to achieve a complete, interoperable health care card solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

SIST EN 1387:1998 is a standard published by the Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST). Its full title is "Machine readable cards - Health care applications - Cards: General characteristics". This standard covers: This European Standard specifies directly or by reference the requirements for cards used for health care, health care coverage or health care entitlement. This European Standard specifies the physical characteristics of cards and the recording techniques, but not the security requirements. It defines the area on each side of the surface of the card allocated to each type of media.

This European Standard specifies directly or by reference the requirements for cards used for health care, health care coverage or health care entitlement. This European Standard specifies the physical characteristics of cards and the recording techniques, but not the security requirements. It defines the area on each side of the surface of the card allocated to each type of media.

SIST EN 1387:1998 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 35.240.15 - Identification cards. Chip cards. Biometrics. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.

You can purchase SIST EN 1387:1998 directly from iTeh Standards. The document is available in PDF format and is delivered instantly after payment. Add the standard to your cart and complete the secure checkout process. iTeh Standards is an authorized distributor of SIST standards.

Standards Content (Sample)


2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Machine readable cards - Health care applications - Cards: General characteristicsMaschinenlesbare Karten - Anwendungen im Gesundheitswesen - Karten: Allgemeine EigenschaftenCartes lisibles par machine - Applications pour la santé - Cartes: Caractéristiques généralesMachine readable cards - Health care applications - Cards: General characteristics35.
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