Healthcare IT is becoming a sci-fi reality show. Introducing the biometrics explosion. To tackle a host of viruses (patient information breaches, data mix-up, fraud) biometrics offers visible solutions. Identifying patients at the get-go can solve problems…before they happen. Medical professionals report that error-prone mechanisms are far too common.
Biometrics evaluates physical markers in order to identify a patient.
Common biometric technologies:
Iris recognition
Palm-vein scans
Fingerprint recognition
Let’s consider one these devices: palm-vein scanners. When a patient walks in, he/she will place their palm on a scanner which then matches the results to a record. But, there are objections to this seemingly non-intrusive scan. Of primary concern to some is: privacy. Although patients can opt out of the service.
While some of these options are proven to be more accurate than others, the biometrics market is predicted to have exponential growth. According to ABI Research, the industry will hit around $14 billion in revenue this year. Some of us are already using this technology everyday. For example, many smartphone users have the ability to use touch-technology to unlock their phones. As more individuals get acquainted with the technology, they will likely feel at ease if they are greeted by scans in the doctor’s office.
Patient identification is becoming a non-negotiable as computer breaches and threats to patient data remain all too customary. In fact, it can prevent fraudulent practices in the administration of healthcare services.
The implementation of biometrics is just beginning.
