U.S. hospital applies biometric facial recognition to cancer treatment verification after FDA approval

Jul 1, 2019, 9:47 am EDT | Chris Burt

Parker Adventist Hospital in Colorado is using biometric facial recognition from Vision RT to confirm the identity and treatment of cancer patients after it was approved by the FDA in June, making it the first hospital to apply the technology for the specific use case, according to local Fox affiliate KDVR.

Patients faces are scanned with Vision RT’s SafeRT-ID to remove human error from the process, and consistently verify the correct treatment for a specific patient. Providing verification with a non-contact procedure is important for people with compromised immune systems, according to the report. The system also provides additional information to help patients prepare for treatment.

Parker Adventist is a Centura Health Facility, one of roughly a half-dozen hospitals and other health care facilities making up a network in Kansas and Colorado.

The global market for healthcare biometrics is forecasted by Grand View Research to reach $14.5 billion by 2025.

Vision RT acquired facial recognition provider Aurora in April, picking up the UK company’s AI expertise.