Arxan’s infographic on healthcare IoT shows wearables, implantable medical technologies, and hospital equipment as three types of devices with their own specific vulnerabilities, including patient data theft. As the company points out on their page for protecting healthcare IoT applications, the FDA found that 400,000 hospitals used infusion pumps deemed to be remotely-hackable last year, merging cybersecurity risks with patient safety hazards. Blocking unauthorized access to hospital networks starts with guarding information, but it goes beyond protecting patients’ records. This includes preventing cryptographic key exposure in the embedded apps of the medical devices that contain extremely sensitive patient information, like how much insulin a diabetic patient needs per hour. Remote hacking and ransomware incidents, and even discoveries of vulnerable devices, stress the need for protecting hospital network data at all levels, including the binary logic of software that could be manipulated if a network’s security is compromised.
Arxan is a company that focuses on application attack-prevention and protection products for Internet of Things and other technologies, including mobile and desktop platforms.
The following guest post on big data and healthcare was submitted by Emma Lawson.
Healthcare is one of the largest and the most complex ecosystems that humans as a species have brought to life. With healthcare providers, payers, researchers, patients and additional entities that all have their own needs and agendas, it has grown into a world of its own, governed by its own rules and featuring a perpetual tug-of-war between the different interest groups.
One concept that might help make sense of all of this, provide benefits to all the interested parties and lead to a more stable ecosystem is big data. Big data has been around for some time and in certain fields it has found much use, but in healthcare, we are still seeing it take its very first steps.
The growing us of big data in healthcare promises to fundamentally change healthcare delivery.
Still, it has definitely become a part of the healthcare ecosystem and ind the future, it is more likely than not that it will become one of its most prominent parts.
Big Data Essentials
Big data is a relatively simple idea. It denotes sets of data that are extremely large, created very quickly (often in real time) and which are varied when it comes to their sources, classification and any other criteria you can think of.
Big data is, therefore, different from the more “traditional” data sets that are collected in limited amounts, from very specific sources and which are then organized in relational databases which feature a simple hierarchy and are easy to use.
A certain organization or a healthcare corporate entity might collect data from thousands of different medical practitioners, hospitals, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and patients themselves. They would then try to organize and analyze this data, all in order to come up with insights that would allow them to improve their services or save money.
Big Data Potential for Healthcare
In the perfect world, big data would hold almost limitless potential for everyone involved, from the healthcare providers to patients and even the payers.
For example, healthcare providers can gain much more precise and balanced insights by utilizing sets of data that are larger than any previously analyzed. In combination with data provided by patients themselves, healthcare providers would be able to dramatically increase the chances of full recovery and provide the ultimate healthcare for their patients.
When it comes to patients, smart use of big data would allow them to play a much more active role in their recovery. Furthermore, since their healthcare providers would operate with more data, the patients’ chances of recovery would dramatically increase. In short, more data would, in a perfect world, mean more positive outcomes for the patients.
When it comes to governments and health insurance companies, the use of big data can tighten their budgets by clearly indicating which treatments work and what are the minimum-invasive treatments and habits that would reduce healthcare expenditure.
Proper use of big data could also enhance the data security and other security concerns that the healthcare industry has to deal with.
A Few Current Examples
The best way to illustrate how big data can be used in healthcare is to take a look at a few ongoing projects and adopted practices.
Kaiser Permanente has also implemented a system, called HealthConnect, which enables data exchange across innumerable medical facilities through the use of electronic records. Among the early results of HealthConnect are improved cardiovascular disease outcomes and more than a $1 billion saved in lab tests and office visits.
The National Institutes of Health and the National Patient-Centered Research Network have both launched certain initiatives that would allow for a more standardized collection, storage and analysis of big data, which will promote its use in healthcare.
What the Future Holds
While certain involved parties are already doing great things with big data in healthcare, the future is where we should look. The main reason for this is that big data applications are still limited by the lack of experts, certain security issues, and the chaotic nature of the data itself, among other things. Once these problems become the past, big data will definitely become one of the most prominent concepts in healthcare and its advancement.
We are already seeing certain steps being made in the right direction, with hybrid data models which combine the volume and the variety of data with the more structured nature of relational databases. Also, there are some companies that have started utilizing dark data in their data analysis, like Panorama for example. Dark data entails data so chaotic and huge that the standard big data models cannot handle it.
With the proliferation of sensors, wearables and other devices that will provide additional data coming from patients themselves, the amount of big data and its usefulness will only grow.
Closing Word
Big data has already begun to influence healthcare. Barring any catastrophic events, it will become an inseparable part of healthcare systems around the world, helping everyone involved attain their goals more easily.
Above everything else, big data has already started saving lives and it is a trend that will continue.
Emma Lawson is a passionate writer, online article editor and a health enthusiast. In her spare time, she likes to do research, and write articles to create awareness regarding healthy lifestyle. She also strives to suggest innovative home remedies that can help you lead a quality and long life. Twitter @EmmahLawson
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The following post on iris recognition for patient ID in healthcare was submitted by Brad Marshall, Enterprise Development Consultant with RightPatient® Smartphones as the “future of medicine”
In case you may have missed the news, last month Samsung released the Galaxy Note 7, making it the first commercially available smartphone that features iris recognition biometric identification technology. The recent recall of this phone because of a faulty battery that could catch fire notwithstanding, the ability for consumers to now leverage iris recognition on their smartphones promises to continue the rapid evolution of adopting more secure patient identification technology on digital devices in healthcare.
Iris recognition for patient ID on smartphones will increase patient and provider confidence in using a smartphone for mhealth data access and services.
Many say that the future of medicine is on our smartphones and with good reason. Both patients and providers are rapidly gravitating to these devices for myriad reasons including administering routine medical tests, sharing data, and ensuring medication adherence. However, despite the tremendous potential for the smartphone to radically alter healthcare delivery, serious issues remain about hacking and personal privacy which inhibits more widespread use of these devices because many on both sides of the healthcare aisle still aren’t convinced that sensitive protected health information (PHI) is adequately protected and kept secure.
The healthcare industry was buoyed by the introduction of iris recognition as a security measure to protect access and keep PHI secure. Here are 3 reasons why iris recognition on smartphones will significantly improve patient ID and help fuel the rise in the use of these devices in healthcare:
Accuracy: Iris recognition is widely considered to be the most accurate and hygienic form of biometric identification. Smartphones are playing a more prominent role in healthcare on both sides of the spectrum with patients increasingly using the devices to access protected health information through patient portals, share information with providers, for telehealth, and to make appointments and order prescriptions. Providers like smartphones because of their portability, accessibility, and mobility. The ability of iris recognition to replace less reliable and less accurate methods of biometric authentication on smartphones (e.g. fingerprints) will help increase and sustain the momentum of their use in healthcare. This bodes well for the industry wide push to establish fluid interoperability based on clean data because it lends confidence that PHI is accurate providing healthcare providers the confidence to participate in health information exchanges on both a regional and national scale.
Eligibility expansion: As of 2015, 68% of American adults owned a smartphone, and 62% of smartphone owners had used their phones to look up information about a health condition (source: http://bit.ly/2dGZ0kQ). The question isn’t whether smartphone use will rise in healthcare, it’s how fast it will rise and how many people will continue to adopt it. Unlike other biometric technologies such as fingerprints that have previously been used on smartphones and rely on skin integrity to work effectively which automatically rules out a certain percentage of the population due to ethnicity, age, climate, and skin condition, iris recognition can be used by virtually anyone dramatically increasing the eligibility of those that are eligible to use it. (And, sorry Network World but your assertion that iris recognition “can’t be used as a verification feature for the blind or people with cataracts…” is inaccurate). We know for a fact that iris recognition does work with blind people and patients with cataracts because dozens of hospitals that use our iris biometric patient identification solution have used it successfully in these cases.
Patient Experience: Among the many benefits ushered into our lives from the digital healthcare revolution, increased transparency and accountability is fundamentally improving the provider/patient relationship. Mhealth apps and patient portals have played a key role to help increase patient engagement and accountability for their health but a broad range of privacy concerns remain that have inhibited their widespread use across the healthcare landscape. Iris recognition on smartphones promises to significantly improve patient confidence that their medical identity is protected before they begin to use apps and portals and provides peace of mind that healthcare providers are deploying the most accurate biometric identification technology available in an effort to ensure privacy and security. There is a strong argument that the use of iris recognition on smartphones will improve the patient experience in healthcare.
Conclusion
There is little doubt that smartphones will continue to be a rising conduit for access to data and healthcare services in the future. The introduction of iris recognition on smartphones will only help to instill confidence in patients that their privacy and medical identities are protected and help providers to ensure their databases are clean and accurate thereby boosting participation in mhealth as a viable channel in healthcare.
Have you used iris recognition to verify your identity on a smartphone prior to accessing an mhealth app, telemedicine, or perhaps another digital health tool? How was your experience and do you feel more confident that your medical identity is better protected? Share your comments with us below.
Brad Marshall is an Enterprise Development Consultant with RightPatient®. With several years of experience implementing both large and small scale biometric patient identification projects in healthcare, Brad works closely with key hospital executives and front line staff to ensure project success.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/iris-recognition-for-patient-ID-in-healthcare-RIghtPatient.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2016-10-04 16:20:232022-08-26 09:50:293 Ways Iris Recognition On Smartphones Will Change Patient ID In Healthcare
The following guest post on patient data integrity in healthcare was submitted by Gabriel Tedde Cabot.
While all physicians, care providers and practices understand the importance of keeping accurate files and records for maintaining patient data integrity, the unique challenges and concerns of a digital file system may pose a greater risk than many practitioners might realize. From the struggle to keep patient records coherent and to maintain unified files across multiple applications and programs to the issues that may be caused by a data breach, today’s practices would be wise to assess the effectiveness of their records and data processes. Loss of data integrity may result in any number of potentially serious consequences, ranging from HIPPA violations to compromised patient care.
Patient data integrity is important to maintain in healthcare. Learn more about how to protect it in the evolving world of digital healthcare.
Creating and Maintaining the Right Digital Infrastructure
The first step towards ensuring digital information can be created, stored and accessed with greater accuracy is also one of the most important. Creating and maintaining the right digital infrastructure can streamline all processes that may involve patient records and ensure that inconsistencies within a file system are less likely to occur. Applications that can be linked more easily and databases that provide cross-platform support are often crucial assets for reducing errors, oversights and optimizing the efficiency of staff and associates.
The Importance of Staff and Employee Training
Having the right digital working environment is only one step in the process for ensuring more effective and accurate record-keeping, one that may be of little practical benefit when employees are not properly trained. Properly training all employees who access or use database systems, patient records and similar applications can help to minimize problems caused by user error. Assessing the current skill level, understanding and overall computer literacy of existing staff can also be quite helpful in identifying any areas that may require attention or improvement.
Failing to provide ongoing training for their staff is a mistake common to both small practices and larger facilities. Updated software, the addition of new applications and changes to the daily operational process of a clinic, practice or healthcare facility often entails the need to train and educate employees who may not yet be comfortable or even familiar with new systems or tasks. Ongoing training also provides a chance for associates to brush up on any skills or concepts that may have gone unused for too long.
Performing Periodic Assessments or Audits to Ensure Accuracy
Quality assurance can go a long way, both towards ensuring that established resources and operational processes are being utilized correctly and for identifying smaller issues before they have a chance to grow into larger and more serious problems. Assessing the accuracy of past records and ensuring that patient data integrity is being maintained effectively is not a concern that should be left to chance. Further assessments should also be performed whenever new operational policies go into effect or when changes are made to the software, systems and applications used by employees.
Protecting Patient Information in the Digital Age
From instituting a more effective password policy to utilizing secure virtual data rooms, there are numerous ways for organisations to ensure all patient data and information is able to be kept safe and secure. Damage caused by unauthorized access to data, files and electronic information may be considerable and practitioners who fail to make online security a priority may be placing themselves and their patients at greater risk of breach or other security issue. Malware or unauthorized users who are able to gain access to electronic records may result in the loss of vital data or files and records that no longer be considered secure.
While even basic measures to enhance digital security can make a considerable difference, more effective may be achieved by organisations who elect to make use of the right resources. Contracting with third-party IT department or security specialist may provide a more cost effective solution for smaller practices that lack the financial resources needed to expand their staff. Investing in secure virtual data rooms used to store and distribute information in a safer manner can also ensure that medical organisations are not placing patient data or information at greater risk. Finding and selecting the services, resources and solutions that make it possible to reduce or even eliminate many of the most common and costly digital security risks is always a worthwhile undertaking.
An effective way of ensuring patient data integrity is by using solutions that protect patient data by preventing medical identity theft, duplicate records, and mix-ups. Solutions like RightPatient do so by ensuring accurate patient identification across the continuum of care. By ensuring that the accurate medical records are identified every time patients use healthcare services, mix-ups and duplicates are prevented easily. Moreover, it prevents medical identity theft in real-time by verifying patients’ identities using their faces. Several healthcare providers are already benefiting from using the platform and are maintaining patient data integrity.
Staying Up to Date With Changing Technology and Emerging Trends
With new applications, digital services and innovations continuing to shape and change the industry, practitioners and medical organizations can no longer afford to fall behind the times. Failing to learn more about new potential security risks or electing to overlook the latest security resources and solutions could prove to be nothing short of a disaster. When it comes to maintaining patient data integrity, staying up to date with the latest technology or learning more about the most recent threats and security concerns is of paramount importance.
Gabriel Cabot is a digital marketing strategist from London who enjoys reading, writing and learning about new technologies, programming, health and the Internet.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Data-integrity-2.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2016-09-21 11:38:352021-07-13 11:40:25The Importance of Maintaining Patient Data Integrity
The following guest post on protecting sensitive healthcare record data was submitted by Rachelle Wilber.
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 requires that any entity that is privileged to collect or store sensitive patient healthcare information keep the information secured and protected against unauthorized access or use. A violation of the HIPPA law has serious implications to any healthcare practitioner or facility. By being vigilant and taking these action steps, you can help to protect the sensitive information of the patients who visit your healthcare facility.
The explosion of online sensitive healthcare data now available online must be secured to protect patient privacy and advance data integrity.
Cloud Encryption Cloud-based data storage and applications service providers are allowing healthcare organizations to use their own encryption keys. These keys are unique to your facility and your own information technology officers can create them. By using these customized encryption keys for data that your healthcare facility uploads to the cloud, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized users gaining access to usable information. If a hacker did get into your database, they would be unlikely to be able to break the encryption key.
Coding Sensitive Data
In addition to encrypting data, you can also code it as it is entered. For example, if a patient has HIV, that condition could be given a numeric code rather than the name of the virus. Only authorized users at your facility would know what the code means.
Healthcare Administration
When you are ready to further your healthcare career and learn more techniques on coding and encryption of sensitive data, consider enrolling in one of many healthcare administration master’s programs that many universities offer. These accredited programs help you to master all aspects of administration that are essential to running a productive, efficient and compliant doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. You will learn about data administration as well as coordination of services, billing, communications and data analysis.
Physical Security
The physical security of patient information is also important. If your facility uses or still has any paper medical charts, they should be kept under lock and key and signed in and out when they are used. Laptops, tablets and other electronic devices should be password-protected. The computers and tablets should also be locked and put away when they are not in use.
By employing these measures in your healthcare facility, you can protect the sensitive patient data that you collect. Maintaining the security of the data helps to keep you compliant with the law. These measures also show to your patients that you care and respect their rights to privacy.
Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700
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The rapid spread of using biometric patient ID solutions has helped to increase safety, reduce duplicate medical records, eliminate healthcare fraud, and strengthen patient data integrity. As most healthcare providers who implement biometrics for patient ID quickly realize – patient participation is the most important factor to ensure deployment success and realize the strongest return on investment.
Traditionally, we see the use of biometrics as a strong security solution to protect our own medical identities, but what about children? Are they eligible to enroll in a biometric patient ID platform and realize the same protection as adults? The short answer is: It depends on the biometric patient identification solution that you select.
Often overlooked as a key demographic that is just as susceptible to the perils of medical identity theft and inaccurate identification, protecting a child’s medical identity is just as, if not more important than protecting our own identities. On a recent podcast with Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of The Identity Theft Resource Center, I asked Eva how important it is to protect a child’s medical identity and what is the earliest age that a child can have their medical identity stolen? Here is what she said:
“Protecting a child’s medical identity is definitely a growing concern in healthcare. And, it isn’t only protecting their medical identity but their identity as a whole. People generally do not believe that (medical ID theft) is a crime that affects children, but I can tell you that we (Identity Theft Resource Center) handle and re mediate cases of child ID theft on a daily basis. It’s really about ensuring that a child’s personal information doesn’t make it into the hands of a thief. The crux of the problem with child medical ID theft is the time of discovery…the most common ways that people find out they are victims of ID theft is because they are trying to accomplish something and they hit a barrier.
If you think about it, children just don’t engage with the outside world the same way adults do – they aren’t out applying for credit, trying to get a driver’s license (before the age of 16) and go through background checks. All of these external things that pop up and make us take notice of our identities, they just don’t happen with children, so that’s where it becomes a parent’s responsibility. For parents, it’s all about taking as many proactive steps as you can. Some states allow you to freeze your child’s credit, and you can certainly always request your child’s medical records to go through them and ensure their accuracy. As a parent, you need to read the Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) after your child has a pediatric visit.”
I then asked Eva what the earliest age is that a child can have their medical identity stolen. She offered this response:
“I hate to say this because it almost sounds like fear mongering but it’s absolutely true – it can actually be before the child is born. If a criminal just decides to make up a social security number that hasn’t been issued yet and starts to use it, it doesn’t necessarily make it back to the social security administration office so your child is born, you go to get a social security number issued to them and you receive it but a criminal has already been using it – so child ID theft can actually happen before they are born.”
Clearly, there is a sense of urgency to ensure a child’s medical identity is protected from the moment they are born! The problem that some healthcare providers face who have implemented certain biometric hardware modalities for patient ID is that not all are eligible for children to enroll. Instead, some biometric patient ID solution providers recommend that a child not enroll until they reach a certain age, or until certain physiological attributes are mature enough to be recognized by a hardware device. This essentially excludes children from leveraging the identity protection and security advantages of using biometric patient ID for identification at the age where they may perhaps be most vulnerable to having their identities stolen.
Protecting a child’s medical identity is among the many reasons that we recommend the use of photo biometrics for patient identification in healthcare. Children as young as 10 months old can enroll and since the iris is a human physiological attribute that forms at 10 months of age and remains static throughout our lifetimes, it represents a viable and stable credential for accurate identification.
As more healthcare organizations around the world evaluate the use of biometrics for patient identification, it is critical that all possible patient options and scenarios are addressed to maximize return on investment and ensure that any patient, no matter how young or old, can take advantage of the benefits to protect their medical identities.
For a full version of our podcast with Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of The Identity Theft Resource Center, click here.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Protect-a-childs-medical-identity-with-RightPatient.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2016-07-07 15:45:012021-07-12 10:31:01Are Children Eligible to Enroll in Biometric Patient ID Solutions?
Biometric patient ID solution deployments to increase patient safety, eliminate duplicate medical records, and prevent medical ID theft and healthcare fraud are spreading rapidly throughout the healthcare industry. More medical facilities are researching the implementation of biometric patient ID in response to the increased attention and negative downstream impact caused by misidentification and the push to achieve 100% patient ID accuracy in healthcare.
Learn the top 5 questions to ask when researching biometric patient identification solutions.
While the front end benefits of implementing biometrics for patient identification may be clear, what often may be slightly fuzzy is the back end technology of biometric patient ID systems and just what exactly the technology is actually capable of achieving. Biometric technology is not static, and depending on which modality a medical facility chooses, the ability to achieve some of the aforementioned benefits may be limited.
As a biometric vendor with over 14 years of experience in biometrics, cloud-computing, integration, and large-scale project implementations, we understand the technology and its capabilities and limitations. We know what certain biometric modalities are capable of, and are well positioned to offer educated recommendations on the best and most effective biometric technology for patient identification in healthcare. Unfortunately, many misunderstandings of biometrics exist that could influence decisions to adopt the technology to improve patient safety in healthcare.
Never fear! We are here to help make sense of biometrics for patient ID in healthcare by offering advice on the top 5 questions hospitals and medical facilities should be asking during the research phase of their due diligence to implement the most effective and sustainable solution. Here are our top 5 questions you should ask when researching biometric patient ID solutions:
Does a patient have to physically touch a biometric hardware device to be enrolled and identified? Why this is important: Patient hand hygiene is terrible. In fact, Dr. Lona Mody and her research team at The University of Michigan recently released a study that reported: “One-quarter of patients (24.1 percent) had at least one multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO), or superbug, on their hands when they checked in.”
Hospitals have a responsibility to ensure the cleanliness of any new devices introduced as part of the patient check-in or care process that require patient contact to support infection control protocols. The rise in awareness of the dangers that hospital-borne infections cause should call into question patient safety issues that contact-dependent biometric pose, especially in light of the dangers that MRSA, Ebola, and other germs and illnesses that can be spread by contact. Think about a patient who may be pregnant and not realize it who contracts an illness that jeopardizes the safety of themeselves and their child simply by touching a device that wasn’t properly cleaned?
Implementing contact-dependent biometric hardware requires medical facilities to ensure that the device is properly sanitized. Hospitals who see an average of 350,000 patients per year could be facing an extra $38,000 in sanitation expenses after implementing a contact dependent biometric hardware device.
The use of contact dependent biometrics can also have a negative impact on patient acceptance. Patients unwilling to touch a device will most likely decline to use the patient identification system. Since patient acceptance and participation is voluntary and the goal is to maximize their use of the technology to drive incremental value, this should be a concern for medical facilities.
Is the back end biometric technology based on one-to-many or one-to-few segmented searches?
Why this is important: The only true way to prevent duplicate medical records and tangibly improve patient safety and patient data integrity through a biometric patient identification solution is to implement a system based on a one-to-many (1:N) search. Biometric patient ID systems based on a 1:N search compare a captured biometric template against ALL stored templates in the biometric database during enrollment.
Alternatively, a one-to-few segmented search (1:Few) compares a captured biometric template against a portion of the total biometric database; hence, a credential (such as date of birth) needs to be provided prior to the biometric scan to determine which templates should be compared against. The biometric system would then compare the captured template against only those templates that share the same birth date.
This is an extremely important question to ask when vetting biometric patient identification solutions. If the premise of implementing biometrics to identify patients is eliminating duplicate medical records, prevention of medical ID theft, and to improve patient safety, solutions based on a 1:Few search do not have the ability to deliver.
Can the biometric patient ID solution recognize patients from any encounter end point?
Why this is important: In the old days, healthcare delivery seemed much simpler. You get sick or suffer an ailment and drive to the doctor’s office or hospital. Treatment is rendered. You go home (or rehab if needed). However, modern healthcare and the digitization of care delivery has radically changed the complexion of how, when, and where we receive services. We now have the ability to login into patient portals 24/7 to view, read, or download data. Telemedicine visits allow us to receive care without every leaving the comfort of our couch. mHealth apps place medical advice, care services, and protected health information (PHI) data access in the palm of our hands.
These examples represent just a few of the new touchpoints along the care continuum that have blossomed in popularity witnessed by the digitization and personalization of healthcare. Although these examples shed light on the new reality of healthcare, accurate patient identification becomes no less important prior to accessing these new touchpoints. The problem is that not all biometric patient ID solutions have the ability to address accurate patient ID at every new touchpoint. Most are built and designed to handle patient ID in one venue and one venue only – face to face patient registration in brick and mortar environments.
If achieving accurate patient ID prior to accessing sensitive PHI or administering services through a new touchpoint along the care continuum is just as important as accurate patient identification at the point of service, why would you want to invest in a solution not built on a centralized model for strong identification wherever a patient may be?
Does the biometric patient ID solution have the ability to instantly identify unconscious patients?
Why this is important: Many hospitals and medical facilities like the idea that a biometric patient ID solution can identify unconscious or disoriented patients. It’s a big selling point and with good reason — patients who arrive unconscious or disoriented without identification or a family member present pose a serious risk. What if the patient is allergic to a medication? What if they have a pre-existing condition that could adversely affect or complicate treatment rendered?
Certain biometric patient ID solutions have the unique ability to instantly identify unconscious patients but not unless they use 1:N back end searches (see #2 in this post). When seconds can mean life or death, you may not want to invest in a biometric patient identification solution using 1:Few segmented searches because then clinicians will have to guess a date of birth age prior to scanning the patient’s biometric credentials. Back end search limitations can delay the identification of an unconscious or disoriented patient.
What age groups are eligible to use the biometric patient identification solution?
Why this is important: As mentioned earlier, a key metric to drive incremental value for any biometric patient ID solution is patient participation. Depending upon the back end biometric technology, not all patients are qualified to enroll in the system. Some biometric patient ID solutions recommend not to enroll patients under a certain age and others will require a larger investment in hardware to enroll younger patients who must then be repeatedly re-enrolled as they grow older and their biometric attributes change.
Biometric patient ID systems exist to protect patients from the dangers of misidentification which include, but are not limited to:
–duplicate medical records –overlays –medical identity theft –healthcare fraud
Considering the fact that no patient is exempt from the risks that jeopardize their safety when not identified accurately, the post implementation goal should be to maximize patient enrollment, regardless of what age they may be.
Investing in a biometric patient ID solution is an exercise in educating yourself about what these systems can and cannot accomplish. While no system is perfect or a panacea to solve all the problems of patient misidentification, achieving higher quality healthcare and improving patient safety are attainable goals that can be reached when the right solution is deployed. Be cautious when researching and make sure you are asking these 5 questions!
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Understand-biometric-patient-identification-options.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2016-05-28 06:00:262021-07-11 09:22:41Top 5 Questions For Biometric Patient ID Vendors
The following guest post was written by David Cuberos, Enterprise Sales Consultant with RightPatient®
Patient Data Integrity and Duplicate Medical Records
It is a well known fact that inaccurate or incomplete data within a patient’s medical record can be a catastrophic risk to patient safety, not to mention a serious hospital liability. As a result, many hospitals and healthcare organizations across the industry are closely examining the integrity of their health data and taking steps to clean it, most by using third party probabalistic and deterministic de-duplication matching algorithms (often directly from their EHR providers) that search and identify possible duplicates for an automatic or manual merge.
Improving patient data integrity in healthcare requires a multi-layered approach that addresses both data matching and more accurate patient identification.
Several key players in the healthcare industry including CHIME, AHIMA, HIMSS, and major EHR providers are beating the drum to improve patient identification and patient data matching, all important catalysts for the push to improve patient data integrity.
If you are a hospital or healthcare organization that is knee deep in the middle of a health IT initiative to help increase patient data integrity (especially in the context of prepping for participation in a local or regional health information exchange), you may want to stop and reassess your strategy. The rush to cleanse “dirty data” from EHR and EMPI databases is often addressed by relying on an EHR vendor’s de-duplication algorithm which is supposed to search and identify these duplicate medical records and either automatically merge them if similarity thresholds are high, or pass them along to the HIM department for further follow up if they are low.
This could be a very effective strategy to cleanse an EMPI to ensure patient data accuracy moving forward, but is it enough? Is relying on an EHR vendor’s de-duplication algorithm sufficient to achieve high levels of patient data integrity to confidently administer care? It actually isn’t. A more effective strategy combines elements of a strong de-duplication algorithm with strong patient identification technology to ensure that patient data maintains its integrity.
Duplicate Medical Record Rates are Often Understated
The industry push for system-wide interoperability to advance the quality and effectiveness of healthcare for both individuals and the general population has been one of the main catalysts motivating healthcare organizations to clean and resolve duplicates but it also has revealed some kinks in the data integrity armor of many different medical record databases. Most hospitals we speak with either underestimate their actual duplicate medical rate, or do not understand how to properly calculate it based on the actual data they can access. An AHIMA report entitled “Ensuring Data Integrity in Health Information Exchange” stated that:
“…on average an 8% duplicate rate existed in the master patient index (MPI) databases studied. The average duplicate record rate increased to 9.4% in the MPI databases with more than 1 million records. Additionally, the report identified that the duplicate record rates of the EMPI databases studied were as high as 39.1%.”
“High duplicate record rates within EMPI databases are commonly the result of loading unresolved duplicate records from contributing MPI files. EMPI systems that leverage advanced matching algorithms are designed to automatically link records from multiple systems if there is only one existing viable matching record. If the EMPI system identifies two or more viable matching records when loading a patient record, as is the case when an EMPI contains unresolved duplicate record sets, it must create a new patient record and flag it as an unresolved duplicate record set to be manually reviewed and resolved. Therefore, if care is not taken to resolve the existing EMPI duplicate records, the duplicate rate in an EMPI can grow significantly as additional MPI files are added.”
Clearly, the importance of cleansing duplicate medical records from a database cannot be understated in the broader scope of improving patient data integrity but relying on an EHR vendor’s probabilistic matching algorithm as the only tool to clean and subsequently maintain accurate records may not always be the most effective strategy. Instead, healthcare organizations should consider a multi-layered approach to improving patient data integrity beyond relying exclusively on an EHR vendor’s de-duplication algorithm. Here’s why.
Why Patient Data Integrity is a Multi-Layered Approach
Often not clearly explained to healthcare organizations, EHR de-duplication algorithms allow end users to set matching thresholds to be more or less strict, which comes with trade-offs. The more strict the threshold is set, the less chance of a false match but the higher chance of a false reject. The less strict the algorithm is set, the lower the chance of a false reject but the higher the chance of false acceptance.
Translation: Often times hospitals who say they have a low duplicate medical record rate might have a strict false acceptance rate (FAR) threshold setting in their de-duplication algorithm. That may mean that there could be a significant amount of unknown duplicate medical records that are being falsely rejected. Obviously, this is a concern because these databases must be able to identify virtually every single duplicate medical record that may exist in order to achieve the highest level of patient data integrity.
So, what can healthcare organizations do to ensure they are not only holistically addressing duplicate medical record rates, but also adopting technology that will maintain high patient data integrity levels moving forward? One answer is to implement a stronger de-duplication algorithm that has the ability to “key” and link medical records across multiple healthcare providers on the back end, and deploying a technology such as biometrics for patient identification on the front end to ensure that not only is care attribution documented to the accurate medical record, but a provider has the ability to view all patient medical data prior to treatment.
For example, many credit bureaus offer big data analytics solutions that can dig deep into a medical record database to better determine what identities are associated with medical records. These agencies are experts in identity management with access to sophisticated and comprehensive databases containing the identification profiles for millions and millions of patients — databases that are reliable, highly accurate, and secure with current and historical demographic data.
Once data is analyzed by these agencies, they are able to assign a “key” to match multiple medical records for the same patient within a single healthcare organization and across unaffiliated healthcare organizations to create a comprehensive EHR for any patient. Offering a unique ability to augment master patient index (MPI) matching capabilities with 3rd party data facilitates more accurate matching of medical records across disparate health systems and circumvents the problem of MPIs assigning their own unique identifiers to individual patients that are different than unaffiliated healthcare organizations that have their own MPI identifiers.
Benefits of using a third party big data analytics solution that has the ability to “key” medical records for more accurate patient data matching at a micro level include:
More accurate identification of unique patient records resulting in a more complete medical record and improved outcomes
Prevention of duplicate medical records and overlays at registration reduces the cost of ongoing MPI cleanups
Medical malpractice risk mitigation
Reduced patient registration times
The ability to more accurately link the most current insurance coverage patient information for more accurate billing
On the marco level, benefits include:
Positive patient identification for eligibility verification, billing, coordination of benefits, and reimbursement
Improved care coordination
Information and record keeping organization
Linkage of lifelong health records across disparate healthcare facilities
Aggregation of health data for analysis and research
Accurately aggregating patient federated data via a HIE
Conclusion
We have long championed the idea that improving patient data integrity can never be achieved in the absence of establishing patient identification accuracy or relying on EHR vendor de-duplication algorithms as the single resource to clean an MPI database. Hospitals and healthcare organizations that are truly committed to cleansing duplicate medical records from their databases and preventing them from reoccurring through more accurate patient identification must consider deploying stronger front and back end solutions that have the ability to more comprehensively identify and resolve these dangers to patient safety. Why not leverage the clout and reach of these big data analytics solutions to more effectively improve patient data integrity instead of putting all of your eggs in an EHR vendor’s de-duplication algorithm?
What other strategies have you seen as effective methods to increase patient data integrity in healthcare?
David Cuberos is an Enterprise Sales Consultant with RightPatient® helping hospitals and healthcare organizations realize the benefits of implementing biometrics for patient identification to; increase patient safety, eliminate duplicate medical records and overlays, and prevent medical identity theft and healthcare fraud.
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Patient-data-integrity-and-patient-data-matching-in-healthcare-is-possible-with-RightPatient.jpg445800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2016-02-15 19:50:462021-07-04 12:13:31Achieving Higher Patient Data Integrity Requires a Multi-Layered Approach
Joe Lavelle from IntrepidNow Healthcare interviewed RightPatient® President Michael Trader to discuss the current state of patient identification in healthcare. (photo courtesy of Joe Lavelle and IntrepidNow Healthcare)
Our thanks to Joe Lavelle and his staff for inviting our President Michael Trader to the IntrepidNow podcast to discuss patient identification in healthcare. Joe invited Michael to not only talk about the current state of patient ID in healthcare and some of the problems that misidentification of patients creates, he also provided the opportunity for Michael to discuss the RightPatient® biometric patient identification platform and what distinct advantages it provides compared to other solutions on the market.
Listen in to Joe’s podcast and learn:
The impact of biometric patient ID solutions to eliminate duplicate medical records/overlays and sustain patient data integrity
How modern patient identification solutions help prevent medical identity theft and fraud at the point of service
How the digitization of healthcare now makes accurate patient identification essential at every touchpoint along the care continuum
The rising importance and ubiquity of photos for accurate patient ID in healthcare
The biometric patient identification solution competitive landscape
Looking ahead to what’s next for RightPatient® in 2016
Listen to the entire interview here:
Thanks again to Joe Lavelle from IntrepidNow for inviting us to be a guest on his podcast! For a complete list of all RightPatient® healthcare biometrics podcasts, please visit our podcast landing page.
2015 was an important year of growth and innovation for RightPatient®. We started this blog two years ago to help educate the healthcare community on the importance of establishing secure, accurate patient identification in healthcare and to establish a trusted resource to help understand how the use of biometrics for patient ID has proven to be an important tool to help increase patient safety, eliminate duplicate medical records, improve revenue cycle management, and prevent medical identity theft and fraud.
Read through some of our most popular blog posts on biometric patient identification in healthcare during 2015
Throughout our journey, we have shared many important posts demonstrating how our hospital partners have successfully implemented biometrics for patient identification and provided real life examples of the post deployment benefits realized. Among the dozens of posts the RightPatient® team posted during 2015, the following posts were the most popular:
RightPatient® Prevents Healthcare Fraud at University Health System: Healthcare fraud and medical identity theft are two rising concerns for healthcare organizations because they jeopardize patient safety, raise the cost of care, and could lead to non-reimbursable medical procedures. University Hospital in Augusta, GA recently was able to prevent healthcare fraud in their ER through the use of the RightPatient® with photo biometrics.
Removing the Word “Scan” from Iris Recognition for Healthcare Biometrics: Fueled by Hollywood sensationalism, iris recognition biometric identification is often depicted as “scanning” a person’s eyes with visible light. The fact is, no visible light is used with iris recognition and instead of a “scan,” iris biometrics takes a high resolution digital photograph.
Identify Unconscious, Unknown Patients with Biometric Identification Technology: The difficulty to identify an unconscious or disoriented patient jeopardizes patient safety in healthcare. Biometric patient identification has emerged as a technology capable of identifying patients in these conditions, but did you know that not all biometric patient ID solutions have the ability to identify unconscious or disoriented patients?
Biometric Patient Identification Implementation Should Be Higher On The Priority List: Despite the fact that accurate patient identification affects so many downstream clinical and financial activities, hospitals and healthcare organizations are still not placing enough emphasis on evaluating implementation and use of this technology as a priority.
We will continue to research and write educational and informational posts during 2016 about the rising use of biometrics for patient identification in healthcare including case studies and examples of how our technology is helping hospitals around the world to: eliminate duplicate medical records, prevent medical identity theft and fraud, increase patient data integrity, and improve patient safety. 2015 was a year of significant growth for RightPatient® as we continue working toward our mission to offer the most innovative and comprehensive patient identification solution that increases patient safety, reduces costs, improves the quality of care, and enhances the patient experience.
Curious to know more about the use of biometric patient identification in healthcare? Is there a topic that you would like to learn more about? Drop us a message at: jtrader@rightpatient.com with your ideas and suggestions!
Thank you for being a part of our blog community!
https://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Top-5.jpg450800John Traderhttps://www.rightpatient.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RightPatient-Logoup.pngJohn Trader2016-01-05 16:52:472021-06-30 14:11:26Our Top Five Biometric Patient Identification Blog Posts of 2015
