Eye Scanning Tech Using Blockchain To ID Patients Is Ready For Trials

A healthcare firm and a biometric company have teamed up to test iris-recognition software for applications involving patient identification in the healthcare field, according to a release.

IrisGuard, an iris-recognition solutions company, and Patientory, a cybersecurity healthcare data solution firm, are collaborating to combine iris biometric technology with the healthcare focused PTOYNet blockchain network, to add another layer of security and authorization on the blockchain, and help with patient identity procedures.

IrisGuard created a technology called EyePay, which is already being used by United Nations organizations to help prevent human trafficking. The technology is used to register refugees and orphans through the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP). It allows for iris-based registration and e-payment options, which helped with financial inclusion of refugees who were displaced in the Middle East.

EyePay is blockchain ready for authentication and authorization, and it can do its job in under 3 seconds. The two companies want to expand the technology into healthcare applications on Patientory software, which is powered by the PTOYNet blockchain.

“Patient identification is a growing problem in today’s healthcare system,” said Chrissa McFarlane, CEO and founder of Patientory. “This technology can help providers identify an individual with unparalleled accuracy, through iris-recognition and data matching. And because it’s verified on the blockchain, it’s scalable without sacrificing data security — which is one of the main problems with our current healthcare-data infrastructure.”

The patient identification issue is one that the collaboration would aim to solve. The release cited statistics from the Pew Research Center that found up to 20 percent of records for patients are not matched accurately in the same healthcare system. This drives up costs and risks the safety of patients.

Iris recognition can help this issue by ensuring identification of the correct patient, and stem abuse and fraud. Add in a blockchain network, sophisticated data management and other patient identification techniques, and the companies say the process will be much more efficient. Patientory is planning on doing clinical trials this year.