Check in with the palm of your hand..

In an emergency, one would not have to be treated as a "Jane Doe" patient as the information would be available if enrolled, and available if you were not conscious...using this system the palm ID is connected to a medical record. The palm image number is the identifier connected to the image and the item that connects the information to the medical records..not the palm image itself...BD

A new scanner that analyzes the unique characteristics of the veins under your palm is being used to identify patients when they check in for doctor visits. News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca reports its helping reduce errors that can lead to potentially deadly medical mistakes. Tom Butz is checking in for a routine doctor's appointment.

"Sir, if you could place your right hand here with your middle finger in the middle," the receptionist at his doctors office said. He's enrolling in a new patient registry program that will forever make patient identification more accurate. "The palm vein scanner is simply a technology that utilizes human factors, which is biometric technology, to assign a unique identity to individuals as they're enrolled in the program," said Jim Burke, Director of Information Services, Carolinas Healthcare System.

"With unconscious trauma patients, it's not unusual that we're forced to take care of the patient as a John or Jane Doe for hours,” Ray said. “Imagine the power of not having to do that for even a minute because the palm technology tells us who the patient is. It's a very powerful concept."