Biometrics: Can facial recognition speed up workflows?

The Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation, which is under South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, said in April that the global biometric authentication market will grow to $68.6 billion in 2025 from $36.6 billion in 2020, citing MarketsandMarkets data.

“Cameras can identify people by their movements and actions when they approach the entrance,” Kim said. “It’s possible to recognize them without facial ID. It’s like a science fiction movie.”

Biometrics will play a key role in improving access to the workflows, especially in busy clinical scenario. I reckon that from the increasing acceptance of facial scans from mobile devices. My two year old Samsung (despite the shoddy Exynos) can recognise me instantly and open up the device. Apple has been doing it for long. Although, they promise that facial biometrics never leaves the device- they are increasingly parking themselves for authentication services on open web.

I am inclined to believe that local on-premise hardware (with possibly IR surface recognition) may be used, as it might be more difficult to spoof. The user must peer in the camera before it can access the EMR/order labs etc. It will require a rework of the workflows, to some extent, but then it is always advisable to have a modular approach towards a healthcare platform.