Patients all over the world have gotten more comfortable with the use of technology in their private life and many believe it is time to bring digital advancements to the healthcare system. According to a recent survey conducted by PewTrusts, most Americans want their data to be both accessible and better protected. 81% of adults who participated in the survey, stated that they, “support increased access to health information for patients and providers”. Additionally, they want to be able to use apps on smartphones, tablets, and computers to access their health information.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in the U.S healthcare system that desperately require attention, thus increasing the demand for new and innovative technology. Last week, the United States Department of Health and Human Services announced that it has invested $80 million in American Rescue Plan Funding to Strengthen U.S. Public Health IT, Improve COVID-19 Data Collection, and Bolster Representation of Underrepresented Communities in Public Health IT Workforce. Recent press release from the United States Department of Health and Human Services stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in our public health reporting and data analysis, particularly around race and ethnicity-specific data. Some of these gaps can be attributed to limited technological infrastructure and chronic underfunding of the staff needed to support public health data reporting at the state and local levels”
The past 10 years of healthcare technology
Over the past decade, the healthcare landscape has transformed from simple patient-portals and basic electronic medical recording systems to a greater environment. The landscape encompasses technology ranging from healthcare devices, telehealth services, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, and robust data-science. Currently, hospitals rely heavily on electronic medical recording to store patient records. These records are dependent on biographic based identification – name, date of birth and social security number.
However, the current landscape has brought about a magnitude of errors that have affected the quality of service provided to patients. When surveyed by the Pomemon Institute; 64% of healthcare providers said patient misidentification happens frequently. 84% of the healthcare providers that reported patient misidentification believe that misidentification can lead to med errors. Some of these errors include registration errors, time constraints and duplicate med errors.
The rise of biometric solutions in healthcare
Currently, biometric solutions are being used in healthcare but in small capacities. Fingerprints scanners are being used by employees to log into their workstations and there are authentication methods in place for drug prescriptions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the role technology can play in identifying patients correctly. The great burden on the American healthcare system identified that healthcare professionals need definitive identification measures in order to properly provide quality care. These identification measures would rely solely on biologically unique traits such as facial recognition, iris recognition and fingerprints. Biometric technology can:
- Ensure care is being given to the right person based on biologically unique traits
- Reduce medical errors
- Ensure safer prescribing practices
The impact of misidentification can lead to wrong treatment and thus negative effects on your health. These solutions can lead to increased access to patient data, matching of records and increased quality of care for all.
Our healthcare solutions
Aware has a ready-to-use solution that meets the demand for definitive identification measures in healthcare. Additionally, Aware is not new to the healthcare landscape and currently has biometric solutions within the space. Most recently, healthcare technology leader Imprivata, teamed up with Aware to bring biometric solutions to their platforms. The Knomi® facial recognition liveness technology has been included in Imprivata’s new mobile healthcare solution that enables seamless self-enrollment by the prescribers of electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (EPCS).
Additionally, AwareABIS™ highly modular IT infrastructure can be configured to suit a variety of healthcare application needs. It is an Automated Biometric Identification System that provides large-scale biometric identification and deduplication. It supports fingerprint, facial, and iris recognition.
Patient Identification:
Healthcare providers can avoid the danger of patient misidentification using a biometrics-as-a-service platform like Indigo. Due to illness or the effects of medication, patients are not always able to accurately identify themselves with absolute confidence. Duplicate patient records can also exacerbate the risks of inaccurate identification. By collecting biometric data from patients and searching through those biometric records upon subsequent visits, healthcare providers can accurately identify patients without having to rely on the patients themselves.
Mobile Authentication:
Access to healthcare records is always strictly controlled. Biometrics is a more convenient and secure means to ensure legitimate access to those records for both patients and caregivers. Aware’s Knomi® biometric authentication framework records and identifies facial and voice recognition data for password-free multifactor authentication on smartphones, replacing passwords for mobile app login or out-of-band authentication for browser access.
Identity Deduplication:
Duplicate patient records can lead to healthcare treatment and medication errors. Biometric solutions can detect and merge patient records, so their complete and accurate records are always available to caregivers. When patients submit biometric identification when onboarding into the system, those biometric records can help avoid record duplication. Those records can also help healthcare administrators analyze identity data to detect any duplicates.
For more information about AwareABIS™ or Knomi®, please contact us.