Vecna Technologies, a developer of patient self-service systems, has integrated its onsite patient check-in platform with Imprivata's PatientSecure identification technology. Through the partnership, hospitals and ambulatory practices will be able to use Imprivata's biometric palm vein scanning technology to securely ID patients who are checking in using Vecna's platform.

There is now a thriving market for biometric patient identification in healthcare. Not only does the technology help ensure accurate identification of patients under normal circumstances like a standard check-in, but, it can have a big impact on patient safety. For example, it can help identify patients who present in an emergency room unconscious.

There's an array of vendors that offer varying biometric technologies for patient check-in. They include Bayometric, Deltabit, HID Global, IdentiSys, Patient Secure, SafeChx, and Veridium.

With regard to the Vecna and Imprivata partnership, the aim of the API integration is to offer better security with quicker ROI for healthcare providers, the companies said. The tools work in tandem to replace some aspects of the manual patient check-in process, creating a direct link between a patient's biometrics and their medical record.

The integrated system can help reduce fraud and automate authenticated patient check-in, improving insurance validation, copay collections, and digital form completion, officials said. It can also help providers improve patient experience and improve quality and safety.

"At patient registration, it's crucial to positively identify the right patient in order to prevent adverse events related to misidentification," Dr. Sean Kelly, chief medical officer at Imprivata, said in a statement. "By partnering with Vecna, we're ensuring that patients are not only accurately identified, but also experience the best possible registration workflows, ultimately increasing adoption of patient check-in platforms while improving patient safety and revenue cycle performance."