Biometrics in Healthcare

Term Paper # 108935

Computer and Technology
Medical and Health
Medical and Health > Nursing

An analysis of the evolution of the use of biometrics in healthcare.

1,348 words () | 3 sources | APA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how biometrics or biometric recognition is the process of verifying the identity of a person by his or her physical characteristics or behavior. In particular, it examines how biometric authentication such as retinal scans and finger printing have been used with success in many non medical fields and how there are many success stories of implementation of biometrics into the medical field such as its use to access patient records.

From the Paper:

"Biometric authentication has been used with success in many non medical fields. Disney has been using hand geometry readers to be sure that tickets are being used by the same customer every time (Balint, 2000). Fingerprint readers are an option for personal computers, and are used as a form of security for many computer networks (Balint, 2000). Law enforcement is invested in Biometrics. The United States Border Patrol requires a digital photograph and fingerprints from both index fingers before crossing into the country in an effort to prevent people on the watch list from entering (Busch, 2006). The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) can search millions of fingerprints to identify crime suspects (Busch, 2006). Medicine has used the information gained by these other fields as a basis for advancing its ability to protect patient information through biometrics. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Balint, K. (2000, July 4). Targeting your identity: Biometrics emerges as a solution for security :[1,2,7 Edition]. The San Diego Union - Tribune, p. 6. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from ProQuest Newsstand database. (Document ID: 73775162).
Busch, C. (2006). Facing the future of biometrics: Demand for safety and security in the public and private sectors is driving research in this rapidly growing field. EMBO Reports, 7(SI), S23-5. Retrieved October 21, 2007, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1071194351).
Good Health Network Taps Authentify to Secure Web Access to Personal Health Records. (2007, October). Wireless News,1. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from ProQuest Computing database. (Document ID: 1371351121).