NurseZone - Devices & technology

NurseZone - Devices & technology: "Science-fiction films have long depicted technological worlds where access is granted only to those whose eyes give their identity away. In today�s medically advanced society, science fiction is fast becoming reality. Thanks to biometric technology, medical facilities are scanning fingers, faces and the irises of the eye to allow secure access to confidential data.
Faced with the privacy guidelines of HIPAA, one Florida health care system sought out biometric technology to ensure the security of its computer systems. In an effort to eliminate the use of passwords, North Florida Medical Centers, Inc., a system of rural clinics in the northern Florida panhandle, experimented with finger-scanning technology before finally electing to install iris-scanning technology on 100-plus computers.
�In the medical environment, it was difficult for clinicians to log on to computers using the finger scans because they often had gloves on or things in their hands,� explained Lynn Sims, medical information systems director for North Florida Medical Centers. �It is so much easier for a camera to scan their eyes. They never have to take their gloves off or put things down.� "