NYU medical center: we'll scan your veins, you won't have to fill forms

[aGameOfThrones]

NYU's Langone Medical Center is getting a jump on that whole 21st-century medical care thing by ditching the clipboards and paperwork for palm scans and digital databases. On June 5th the hospital threw the switch on an electronic patient-tracking program from Epic Systems and paired it with biometric identification technology from PatientSecure, which scans the veins in persons hands using near-infrared light. Instead of being forced to fill out forms with your insurance info and social security number every time you visit, you simply place your hand on a scanner and -- ta-da! -- your records come right up.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/18/nyu-medical-center-goes-sci-fi-scans-patients-palms/

[QueenB4Liberty]

Wow that is so beyond creepy. I hope it doesn't catch on. (ahahaha I know wishful thinking)

[MelissaWV]

Wow that is so beyond creepy. I hope it doesn't catch on. (ahahaha I know wishful thinking)

It shouldn't catch on for the most obvious reason: It's inaccurate. While forms are also notoriously inaccurate, they aren't necessary in trauma cases swooshing through the ER. The patient is treated with the most dire assumptions (always assume certain basic allergies or conditions until proven otherwise). The stabilization of the patient is of the utmost concern.

Now freeze that and play it back. As the patient is rushed into the ER, they are scanned. Keep in mind this may be a patient with multiple lacerations and burns to the hands (car accident, house fire, etc.), or even missing a hand, and the scanner is going to be sneaked in briefly, used, then removed for "results." You are assuming, with no ability to confirm to the contrary, that this information is correct. If it says the patient is NOT diabetic, or is absolutely NOT allergic to certain classes of medications, and of course they are NOT pregnant... these could have some very, very serious implications for the way the patient is now handled. All of these could be wrong via keying errors (I've had many things "wrong" in my medical charts before, and have had to correct them on trips back to the clinic), or it could be a misread on the palm, or it could be out of date information (you had recent heart surgery while you were on vacation; it was sudden and it isn't in your floating medical file).

Even as a shortcut in urgent care or regular waiting rooms, I fail to see the validity of such a system. You would still need to confirm your identity via ID and you would still need to confirm your insurance status. You will still be asked to update your pregnancy status, your family history, your medication regimen. You will still need to describe your current symptoms, and you will still need to update any demographics information that might be out of date.

[ItsTime]

^That is why we need to insert mirco chips.

[MelissaWV]

^That is why we need to insert mirco chips.

Same problems. In essence, you are linking to an unverified source. Patients do not verify the information put into their "record" on that chip, and yet their life depends on it. You also have damage issues, etc., with embedded chips.

[ItsTime]

I was being sarcastic. ;)

[evilfunnystuff]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8yoSAiwY18