Managing the complexity of e-identification in healthcare

In light of challenges such as a shortage of doctors in rural areas and skyrocketing healthcare costs, many are pinning their hopes on the expansion of telemedicine. But this raises the question: How can patients be reliably, securely, and easily identified remotely? After all, this involves very sensitive data. Some see the upcoming EUDI wallets as a silver bullet. Even with existing methods, solutions can be built today. We show you how in this blog post.

Electronic identification isn't a single, fixed technology—it's a constantly evolving ecosystem of methods. As regulations such as the eIDAS Regulation continue to evolve, today's established identification approaches may quickly become outdated. For stakeholders in the healthcare sector, this creates a dual challenge: keeping pace with regulatory change while also responding to diverse patient preferences. After all, no single identification method works equally well for every user group.

The most common ID methods used today

Click on each to learn more.

NFC-enabled physical documents

Relying on special NFC chips integrated into physical documents (such as the German elektronischer Personalausweis), this method could be used by the entire population – in theory. In practice, citizens who want to use this function have to know, or initially learn, their PIN, which usually requires a visit to the local authority.

Face-to-face identification

In-person verification of identity documents at physical locations such as shops or offices is commonly available in countries like Germany (e.g., post offices) and Switzerland (e.g., Swisscom shops). This traditional method meets eIDAS standards for trusted identity verification. It is a reliable option for users who prefer personal interaction, but it is limited by business hours and may be less accessible in rural areas.

Assisted video identification

Users record videos of themselves and their ID documents, which are pre-checked by AI systems. Human agents then review the results. This approach offers greater flexibility and cost efficiency but depends on the reliability of AI and the accuracy of human validation. Furthermore, this can be combined with NFC chip reading, without the need for a PIN.

The all-in-one approach for electronic ID

At the core of this approach is Swisscom Trust Services' Multiple Authentication Broker (MAB). This decision-driven system guides users through the entire registration journey, selecting the most appropriate online identification method along the way. Partners can either use ready-made interface views or customize them to match their own branding. Importantly, every identification and authentication method integrated into the broker is approved by a dedicated e-signature compliance body.

The system supports a wide range of modern identification methods delivered through a simple browser flow. These include assisted video identification, NFC-based document scanning and eID verification. Each method is tailored to specific legal jurisdictions and required e-signature levels. The platform is also designed for the future: new compliant identification or authentication methods can be added at any time following an audit, ensuring readiness for upcoming innovations such as European Digital Identity wallets.

A strong partner ecosystem plays a key role in making this possible. Swisscom Trust Services places collaboration at the center of its strategy, working closely with innovative companies to combine expertise and deliver efficient solutions. Among these partners are Nect and ajila. Nect, for example, offers a ready-to-use e-identification solution through its ePass process, which supports a wide range of NFC-enabled ID documents across different countries. Its procedure has even been approved by gematik, Germany's national agency for digital medicine. Meanwhile, ajila focuses on digitizing and streamlining form-based workflows, further enhancing efficiency.

Your benefits of working with Swisscom Trust Services

SwisscomTrust Services stands out due to its international outlook. While many competitors focus primarily on national wallet initiatives, Swisscom is already working toward integration with multiple European wallet solutions. Notably, Swisscom Trust Services is the only qualified trust service provider certified under both European eIDAS and Swiss ZertES legislation—a unique position that supports seamless cross-border operations.

For healthcare institutions and commercial providers, the value is clear. By choosing Swisscom, they can offload the complexity and liability associated with integrating identification systems and instead focus on delivering better patient experiences. With secure, scalable, and ready-to-use onboarding solutions—and the backing of a strong international partner network—they’re well positioned to meet today's demands and tomorrow's challenges.

Are you ready to take action?

At Swisscom Trust Services, we want to help eHealth companies gain traction and create value by providing secure identification and verification services quickly. To that end, we are launching our Trust Start & Trust Pilot Program. This sequential, modular approach starts with a one-day analysis workshop. If use cases are identified, we can continue building a proof of concept together, either as a 5-20 day sprint or a 25-day full PoC (Proof of Concept). Our goal is to deliver real value and guide customers toward generating revenue.

Get in touch for your personal, non-binding offer!

Want to dive deeper into healthcare-grade e-identification first? No problem, download our free whitepaper, highlighting our pragmatic approach to overcoming healthcare ID challenges, here.

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