New Podcast: Frost & Sullivan on Growth and Potential of Iris Biometrics

March 28, 2016/5801 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Iris Recognition, Podcasts /by John Trader

Listen to our latest healthcare podcast where we interview Ram Ravi from Frost & Sullivan to discuss iris biometrics.

Last year, global research and consulting organization Frost and Sullivan released a research report entitled: “The 5 Year Opportunity Analysis of the Global Iris Recognition Market.” According to Frost & Sullivan’s Web site, the report:

“analyses trends in the iris recognition market across the government and commercial sectors, globally.”

Frost & Sullivan reports that iris biometrics is predicted to steadily grow as a prominent technology for individual identification within a number of verticals including patient identification in healthcare. However, misunderstandings of this technology are still widespread along with questions about its potential applications. Frost & Sullivan covers:

Key market drivers
Potential applications for iris biometrics
Accuracy rates compared to other biometric modalities (palm vein and fingerprint)
Unique features (e.g. – non-contact, hygienic form factor)

We invited Ram Ravi, lead research analyst for Frost & Sullivan, to join us on our latest podcast to discuss this report and provide some insight into his research on iris recognition biometrics to help our community better understand this technology and its potential to thrive as a future biometric identification modality, especially for patient identification in healthcare. In light of the continued misunderstandings of iris biometrics, this podcast covers:

Overview of the report, the “5-year Opportunity Analysis of the Global Iris Recognition Market”
Why Frost & Sullivan sees growth of iris recognition in healthcare as a key mechanism for expansion of this biometric identification technology
The factors leading Frost and Sullivan to conclude that iris recognition is poised for strong growth as a dominant biometric identification management technology
When faced with a choice of biometric modalities to deploy for patient identification in healthcare, why Frost & Sullivan recommends iris recognition technology over other modalities such as fingerprint or palm vein
How Frost & Sullivan came to the conclusion that iris biometrics is the most accurate biometric modality
What Frost & Sullivan would say to someone who has a mistaken idea about iris recognition based on false information
Aside from healthcare, the additional potential for iris recognition in the commercial space
The impact of the rising emphasis on connected devices (IoT) on the biometric market or specifically the iris recognition market

Among the several conclusions that Frost & Sullivan reported, these are the highlights:

Iris biometrics is the most accurate biometric technology in the market when compared to fingerprint and palm vein biometrics for patient identification in healthcare
The non-contact, hygienic form-factor of iris biometrics renders it a safer technology to use for patient ID in healthcare that supports hospital infection control
Iris biometrics is the same thing as having your photo taken with a digital camera and is extremely non-invasive
Frost & Sullivan feels that iris biometrics has a much stronger potential for growth for patient identification in healthcare than fingerprint or palm vein due to the aforementioned points
Iris biometrics has strong potential for growth related to the Internet of Things (IoT)

We encourage you to download a full version of the podcast to hear more about iris biometrics.

A link to the podcast can be found on our healthcare biometrics podcast page. A link to the podcast summary slides can be found on our SlideShare page.

Thank you to Ram Ravi and the Frost & Sullivan team for the opportunity to discuss their research!

For a full list of all our podcasts, please visit our podcast page.

Patient Hand Hygiene Report Casts Shadow on Contact Dependent Biometric Patient Identification

March 16, 2016/7796 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Comments On Recent Biometric News Stories, Infection Control, Iris Recognition, Patient Identification, Patient Safety /by John Trader

Patient Hands May Pose Greatest Threat to Hospital Acquired Infections

Is the heightened awareness on ensuring that doctors, nurses, and other clinical staff wash their hands as part of strict hospital infection control protocols missing an important element? According to a new research report published by NBC News, hospitals would be well served to address another important demographic inside a facility that could perhaps pose an even greater threat to patient safety: patients themselves.

A recent NBC news article reported that patients carry superbugs on their hands raising concerns about whether contact dependent biometric patient identificaiton solutions support hospital infection control.

Researchers at the University of Michigan released details of a report that found “nearly a quarter of patients they tested had some sort of drug-resistant germ on their hands when they were discharged from the hospital…” The results support the theory that many healthcare experts have long asserted – patients are a major threat to spreading the germs of superbug infections. Researchers tested for a number of bugs, and reported:

“We swabbed the palm, fingers, around nails of patients’ hands. The tests were done when patients were admitted, two weeks later, and then once a month for the next six months.” (Source: http://nbcnews.to/1Xv5Rck)

The report goes on to say that patients frequently bring multi-drug-resistant organisms on their hands to a hospital environment and drew the conclusion that this increases the probability that these organisms are likely to be transmitted to other patients and healthcare workers. A concluding thought of the report was:

“Despite concerns raised by some recent studies, patient hand-washing is not a routine practice in hospitals to date.” (Source: http://nbcnews.to/1Xv5Rck)

Patient Hand Hygiene Raises Concerns About Contact Dependent Biometric Patient Identification Solutions

As more hospitals investigate the use of biometrics for patient identification, they quickly discover that hardware options available include contact-dependent devices (fingerprint, palm vein) and non-contact devices (iris and facial recognition). Is it a healthcare organization’s responsibility to evaluate the hygiene risks of asking patients to physically touch a biometric device for identification? Do hospitals have an obligation to weigh the risks of hospital-acquired infections that could materialize from using contact-dependent biometrics for patient identification?

The NBC News report certainly calls into question the hygiene risks of deploying any type of technology solution that requires physical contact with a patient and could lead to the spread of germs and disease. Our hope is that hospitals assessing the use of biometrics for patient identification will take this into account and understand the risks involved when using contact-dependent devices and the responsibility to sterilize the device after each use if the decision is made to deploy this type of hardware.

There are many factors to consider when evaluating the use of biometrics for patient identification in healthcare. As we learned from the NBC News report, supporting hospital infection control to prevent the spread of germs and disease by using contactless biometric patient identification is important to consider.

Curious to know more about how to assess the differences in patient identification technology? Download our eBook for more details.

Infographic: Understanding and Preventing Hospital Acquired Infections

January 14, 2016/6510 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Infection Control, Infographics /by John Trader

The following guest post and Hospital Acquired Infection Infographic was submitted by David Smith from UK based Cleaning Services Group.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities are intended to improve our health and, for the most part, they fulfil that function. However, some of these can pose unwanted health risks to patients in the form of hospital acquired infections (HAIs), namely those diseases such as pneumonia which can be contracted in healthcare settings if medical professionals fail to take the necessary care with patients.

The below infographic from Cleaning Services Group identifies the most common HAIs, outlining what they are, how they can be contracted and, crucially, what can be done to prevent these infections. Pneumonia and surgical site infections account for more than 43% of HAIs between them, a staggering figure which may shock and worry you.

The risks of contracting a HAI can vary depending on the physical condition of the patient and the nature of the healthcare facility. An elderly patient undergoing a long-term stay in a hospital with substandard hand hygiene practices is at far greater risk than a robust young adult staying at a hospital where safety standards are consistently met. Learn more about HAIs and what you can do to minimize the risk of you or a loved one becoming infected.