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Ubiquitous healthcare systems can provide advantages to patients, enabling them to access medical information and support systems independent of their current place and time. However, due to specific requirements regarding security and usability standard mechanisms for enabling terminal and application mobility are not acceptable for healthcare information systems. We propose a service architecture framework (the CONNECT framework) that enables content adaptation and session management for ubiquitous patient support systems and addresses requirements specific for healthcare systems. The CONNECT framework provides support for terminal and application mobility, and enables easier implementation, maintenance and adaptation of patient support systems for different types of terminals, networks and services. Additionally, it addresses security and usability requirements that are of high importance for healthcare systems. Based on the proposed framework the testing environment is implemented; and as a result, we conclude that the system's scalability and performance is not significantly affected.

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Personal Health Records (PHR) open new opportunities for enhancing delivery of standard health care services and health information to general population and supporting individuals to take more active role in health management and decision making processes. However, while utilization of PHR as part of a health management process brings much more flexibility, and advanced options to individuals, it also introduces questions related to responsibility and authority for creation, processing, maintenance and ensuring privacy and security of personal health related data. This paper summarizes the issues related to EU legal-regulatory requirements for developing PHR that enable storage, sharing and management of health data between different stakeholders (patient and healthcare institutions on different levels of care). We present a list of guidelines that outline which security and privacy issues must be taken into consideration and be addressed when developing PHR, and discuss them in the context of one European country (Norway). In the discussion we raise the issues that are not addressed in the existing regulations, but play an important role in developing secure PHR systems. We also propose a direction for further development of policies and legislations in Europe to facilitate further development and utilization of PHR systems.