Hospitals adopting palm scan technology for patient ID
10 November, 2008
category: Biometrics, Health
Thanks to hospitals implementing biometrics for patient identification purposes, many patients will no longer need to worry about having correct ID cards and health insurance cards at the ready for their hospital visit, according to a Contra Costa Times article.
ValleyCare hospital on the U.S. West Coast is only the third hospital in the county to install such a system where now a health care professional is able to instantly access a patient’s records by simply taking an infrared scan of the vein pattern in their palm.
Beyond simplifying processes for the hospital, ValleyCare executives are expecting the new system to protect from duplicate records as well as improve security of patient records. Additionally, they see a beneficial use for the technology being in the emergency room where they would be able to identify unconscious or otherwise non-responsive patients.
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