Carolinas HealthCare Investing in Hand Scanners
June 22nd, 2008
by Taylor Bright, Staff Writer–Charlotte Business Journal
It seems more science fiction than present-day health care, but Carolina HealthCare System is in the midst of installing hand scanners that will identify patients.
The scanners use “near-infrared” light that maps out the veins in a patient’s hands, connecting to a computer system that retrieves their medical information.
The health-care system plans to spend more than $1 million to install the scanners throughout its hospitals and physician practices. About 125 scanners have been installed. By the middle of next year, more than 600 will be in use, says Jim Burke, director of information technology at Charlotte-based Carolinas HealthCare.
The system — called PASS for Patient Access Secured System — connects to existing electronic files.
More than 176,000 patients have been enrolled in the program, with another 800 to 1,000 patients added every day, Burke says.
Carolinas HealthCare says it is the first hospital system to use hand scanners to access patient information. Some hospitals use them for security.
The scanner will virtually eliminate the possibility that a patient’s personal information can be misused, Burke says. It also is a more reliable method of identifying patients than simply using a person’s name and date of birth.
The system also cuts down on the chances a patient’s information can be overheard and used.
Roger Ray, chief medical officer of Carolinas HealthCare, says the scanners will make the hospital more efficient, cutting down the amount of time required to access information.
The scanner converts the palm image into a series of numbers associated with a patient’s medical records. Even if the patient is unconscious, the patient’s medical records will be available through the hand scanner.
Carolinas HealthCare looked at several other medical-record technologies before settling on the hand scanner, including retinal scanning. That was discarded because of concerns about being too invasive.
Because insurance policy holders are identified by Social Security numbers, the hospital must get the number from patients the first time they register. After that, patients will need to provide only their date of birth after having their hand scanned.
The scanners were designed by Fujitsu. Carolinas HealthCare customized the scanner’s cradle and software and is applying for a patent.
Carolinas HealthCare leases or manages 23 hospitals and has more than 35,000 employees in the Carolinas.
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