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For other articles and previous issues click here. August 9, 2004 Fingers
Point Toward Biometrics Biometrics is a concept that is affecting industries across the globe. Viewers of the popular television drama CSI would have to agree as they watch their favorite detectives use the innovative technology to help solve cases. But biometrics is not just fodder for good TV—it’s also playing an important role in the healthcare industry. For the past few years, healthcare systems and hospitals have begun looking at whether or not biometrics can assist in improving the security of patient information and identifying individuals. Results have been mixed—in some cases, high costs have prohibited the implementation of biometrics. But as with nearly every new technology, improvements are made and costs slowly fall. Yet there are still few available options for healthcare entities that want to address their HIPAA concerns through biometrics technology. There are four distinct types of biometric applications that can be used for individual identification purposes. The most technically accurate and widely used method is fingerprinting or finger imaging. Other options include facial recognition, voice recognition, and iris or eye scanning. Optical finger imaging has been around for 30 years but only recently have healthcare systems tried using this technology, often with little success. Highly sensitive to contaminations such as dirt, grease, and grime, the technology could fail due to something as innocuous as a physician not washing his or her hands after reading the newspaper. “Many hospitals have tried and failed with the optical technology because it requires a pristine environment,” says John Schneider, Phd, president of Amherst, N.Y.-based Ultra-Scan, whose Lifescan Ultrasonic Identification System (LUIS) technology is an alternative to optical finger imaging. “These healthcare systems became frustrated and were convinced that finger imaging didn’t work.” The LUIS system uses sound waves similar to those in ultrasounds as a method of personal identification. Schneider says this method provides a higher-quality reading, one his healthcare clients have cited for its effectiveness. “Our challenge is convincing them [potential healthcare customers] this technology works [in spite] of the problems of optical finger imaging in the past,” Schneider says. Ultra-Scan is not alone in tackling the fingerprint or finger imaging market. Patrick Immel, vice president of information technology (IT) services at Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. in Mobile, Ala., says his company has been studying biometrics as a method of further securing patient information since 1998. The software development company with 21 years of healthcare experience scrutinized HIPAA and its suggested security standards and then determined how it could apply to its facial, voice, optical, and fingerprint recognition devices. “Ultimately, we chose fingerprint recognition because it seemed to be the most accurate for the cost,” says Immel. “Cost is a major consideration for any healthcare facility. Today’s healthcare provider has to continue to provide quality care with much tighter purse strings.” Therein lies the problem. Biometrics is a technology that is a perfect match for many AIDC (automatic identification and data collection) installations, but it’s also one that’s rarely affordable for hospital and healthcare systems. However, the benefits may be worth the cost. The FBI has stated that computer security breaches are responsible for more than $250 billion in lost corporate revenue every year. With the inherent risks in traditional identification, biometrics has become a preferred method of positive identification. Using biometrics for network log-on can eliminate the need for passwords or PINs (personal identification numbers) when accessing confidential patient information. “Time and attendance [are] just the beginning,” says Immel. “There are a lot of applications like accounting, registration, and medical records that could benefit from a solution for secure log-on to the hospital information system.” Some industry experts think cost plays no role whatsoever in whether or not a hospital should implement a system. Zavi Cohen, CEO of Zvetco Biometrics in Orlando, Fla., believes virtually every major healthcare system or hospital will have a biometric patient identification system within the next five years because it will represent a significant cost savings in the long run. “The next five years will show a significant increase in the number of healthcare facilities using some method of biometrics,” says Cohen, referring specifically to fingerprinting or finger imaging. “The savings are significant when it comes to the management of information systems and patient data.” According to Cohen, the savings include having less down time and support required to manage complex information systems. Another benefit is that most biometric systems require minimum training and are user-friendly and easy to learn for virtually any healthcare worker, from IT experts to medical personnel. “The amount of individual training required is close to nothing,” says Cohen, adding that there likely would be no need to outsource the servicing of a biometric system such as finger imaging. “There are no significant hassles that an IT team will have to deal with on an ongoing basis.” Other biometric options aren’t as feasible at this time for the healthcare industry, according to most experts. Schneider says facial recognition technology has some potential but is at least 10 years away from being ready for implementation within a healthcare or hospital system. “Right now, facial recognition is being used in government applications with highly trained experts who do nothing but study how to use and apply this technology,” Schneider says. “The healthcare field doesn’t have the time to put into training their staff in this manner so it’ll be a decade or so until the technology improves to the level of what hospitals require.” Cohen agrees that the technology is not yet prevalent in the healthcare field and is in its early adoption stage. But it is coming, he predicts. The technology will allow users to log on in a seamless fashion in an ultraprotected environment by using a single sign-on function. Passwords can be used if preferred but biometrics has the potential to change the way a medical record and patient identification will appear in the long-term future. The overall goal is to facilitate the safeguarding of personal health information and other data, Cohen says. It will potentially allow healthcare systems to not ask for other personal information, such as a Social Security number, down the line. By not recording a person’s Social Security number, it will discourage hackers from attempting to swipe someone’s identity. However, Immel cautions that adding biometrics to an office setting is often a difficult sell. “This technology is a big culture change for any company’s staff,” he says. “People don’t trust it at first. But in the next five years, biometrics will become as ubiquitous as PINs.” Typically, when receiving medical services, a patient
must present various forms of identification. However, patient identification
cards, insurance cards, or driver’s licenses tend to be lost,
forgotten, forged, or stolen. By identifying patients through fingerprint
readers, a hospital can do the following: MedcomSoft, a Canadian developer of healthcare information systems, is working with Mytec Technologies, Inc., a Canadian biometrics company, to help hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies secure access to electronic patient data with the use of fingerprint authentication. A physician who logs into the system with a user name or number and password typically accesses MedcomSoft’s electronic patient records. MedcomSoft plans to attach Mytec’s USB fingerprint scanner to a PC or notebook, which will allow doctors to use fingerprints to authenticate their user names or numbers and gain access to patient records. Although biometrics hasn’t been widely used in the healthcare industry to date, some industry experts believe HIPAA may drive adoption because its regulations put pressure on health facilities to secure the management and dissemination of patient data. “Hospitals are pulling out their hair trying to comply with HIPAA because it’s huge and not always clear about its requirements,” says Giga Information Group analyst Jim Grady. While the use of biometrics isn’t required by HIPAA, Grady suggests it may be a good option for hospitals because it’s more secure than using passwords. Currently, MedcomSoft is using Mytec biometrics to allow access to information on PCs, but it’s interested in using biometrics to secure access to patient data on wireless devices, says Pierre Donaldson, Mytec’s president and CEO. Mytec’s Bioscrypt portable can be integrated into a cell phone or personal digital assistant to authenticate the handheld user. In the future, MedcomSoft plans to use that technology to help physicians on the go gain secure access to patient records. C. Maxine Most, principal and founder of Acuity Market Intelligence, isn’t convinced that biometrics will improve the security of patient information because it is the process that makes information secure rather than just the technology. “Patient privacy is certainly not a trivial issue, but in many ways HIPAA is a distraction from the broader business opportunity at hand,” says Most. “The larger opportunity lies with consideration of overall healthcare market dynamics and how biometrics fit into more comprehensive healthcare IT trends.” Most, editor of Biometrics Market Intelligence, a monthly publication providing ongoing industry analysis, says biometrics providers should focus on fostering safety and reducing costs. “Technology-based solutions that also increase convenience for caregivers, patients, and payor organizations may even be met with outright enthusiasm,” says Most. “This is the healthcare power play for biometrics. Rather than focus on linking physical and logical security, focus on linking patient safety and cost reduction through increased operational efficiency and convenience.” The bottom line is that biometrics will soon be more involved in the healthcare market, with larger and more financially stable hospitals most likely instituting the practice first. Once that door is opened, it’s a safe bet that biometrics will become more than just a device on a hit TV series. “Biometrics is here to stay,” says Cohen, “and I would say it’s going to be part of the next wave of healthcare improvements.” — Mike Scott is a freelance writer who has contributed to more than 70 magazines, newspapers, and Web sites on numerous topics—from business to healthcare to technology. He lives in Waterford, Mich. |
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