Iris Scans Let Hospitals Check Identities of Patients

Hospitals don’t want to do a procedure on the wrong patient. Most hospitals ask for an ID, like a driver’s license or insurance card, to confirm identities. There are times when patients can say their names, too. Yet other times, the patient can’t even communicate to say his or her name. It could be because of a medical reason or even a language barrier.

But eye-scanning technology can help out healthcare providers when ensuring they have the right patient for a procedure or test.

Novant Health, a U.S.-based healthcare system, is investing $1.1 million in advanced technology so they can identify patients by eyes scans.

Novant sees a lot of patients. The system has 14 medical centers and more than 500 clinics, outpatient centers, rehab programs and outreach programs.
It’s not just a liability concern about making sure the health-care providers are working on the right patient. Checking out a patient’s unique iris also prevents identity theft, and lessens the risk for duplicates of medical records, Tate Batson, assistant director of on-site patient access for Novant’s Charlotte and coastal markets, told The Charlotte Business Journal.

Duplicate records can accidentally be created if patients have similar names or birth dates. Insurance fraud and billing errors are other risks.
Also, eye scans can be used before giving a patient medication, to make sure it’s the right drug and right dose for the right patient.

“We implemented this to add another layer of protection, so we can identify a patient more accurately, more of the time,” Batson told the newspaper.
After the scan, the photo of a patient’s eyes and face will be placed in a patient’s permanent medical record.

Novant’s Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., started iris scanning last month. There are 24 iris-scanning cameras throughout the hospital, such as in the emergency room. It will be offered at other hospitals and clinics run by Novant.

Another hospital using iris biometrics is Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin, N.C.

Lee Powe, CIO of Hugh Chatham Memorial, told Becker’s Hospital Review, "I didn't know how it'd fit here. But when we put this system in place and started taking iris scans, people would say, 'Hey, can you do my kids while we're here?' 'Can you do my husband or my wife?' They embraced it, and it floored me to see that."

Also, another benefit is that patients do not touch equipment while doing an iris scan, which lowers risk for infection.

"A lot of people don't come to the hospital because they are healthy. With palm scanning, you put your hand down, then sanitize it and clean it to keep someone from passing infections. But that's not the case here. You just sit in a chair, line your eyes up with a camera, take the picture and you're done," Powe added.

Other hospitals and medical offices may choose to use eye-scan technology in the near future. As of now, fewer than 10 percent of healthcare providers use palm or iris scanning, news reports said.