[January 31, 2014]

LifeMed ID technology Primed to Help Public and Private Sectors Meet Recommendations of National Patient Matching Initiative

Initial findings from the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) reaffirm the priorities of LifeMed ID, the nation's leader in providing healthcare solutions to ensure patient safety through accurate record matching and patient identification.

The ONC, the top U.S. agency on health IT security, launched the Patient Matching Initiative in 2013 in response to the need for improved technology to manage the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Based on initial findings and recommendations from stakeholders, the ONC announced last month an imminent need for improved patient identification and record matching across healthcare organizations, and for defining processes and best practices for accurate patient identity.

"We applaud the ONC's stance that achieving patient safety, reducing fraud and eliminating duplicate records is a national priority," said David Batchelor, Founder and CEO of LifeMed ID. "Not only do we support the ONC's Patient Matching Initiative, we already have in place the recommended solutions. We verify patient identity, validate they are insured, and match the patient to one valid record so the provider can deliver the correct care, while avoiding waste, fraud and substandard care."

LifeMed ID's patient identification and record matching solutions align with the ONC's objectives and meet or exceed the ONC's requirements for hospitals and clinics nationwide. Additionally, LifeMed ID actively participates in committees and organizations - such as the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), the Smart Card Alliance (SCA), the Identity Ecosystem Steering Group (IDESG) an the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) - that provide standards-based guidance to the ONC. The ONC is the principal federal entity charged with coordination of nationwide efforts to implement the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information.

"As our country works through the adoption of health information technology to support the ramp up of nationwide health information exchanges (HIE), the issue that will rise to the top will be how to deal with accurate patient identity and record matching to eliminate duplicate records and procedures," Batchelor said. "If we don't address patient identification properly, we will continue to incur unnecessary and unacceptable costs - both in dollars and lives. Fortunately, LifeMed ID is perfectly positioned to offer solutions that are ready and proven to ensure patient safety, reduce fraud, eliminate duplicate records and dirty data, as well as provide efficiency and interoperability."

LifeMed ID's product suite enables healthcare providers to securely validate and risk-assess patient identities in real time prior to each point of registration. With patient validation, LifeMed ID instills a level of trust with patients that their medical and personal information remains secure. It also helps providers meet their Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements.

The basis of the Meaningful Use and Accountable Care standards raise a key question, Batchelor said. "What is an acceptable percentage of misidentification and duplicate records when treating a patient? Currently duplicate records average 5 to 15 percent nationally for healthcare providers. Is this an acceptable risk for patient care?"

Batchelor and LifeMed ID will lead a discussion on patient identification at a day-long pre-conference at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 23, 2014. For more details go here for an agenda and list of speakers.

About LifeMed ID:

LifeMed ID is the U.S. industry leader in preventing fraud, ensuring safety and saving lives. Through its suite of solutions, LifeMed ID eliminates patient misidentification and improves patient safety by providing secure, user friendly integrated healthcare solutions that allow clinicians and patients to have access to their data spanning multiple systems. LifeMed ID integrates the use of multiple interoperable patient identity solutions, including smart cards, state of the art biometrics such as IRIS scan, palm vein and facial recognition, and holds multiple patents for smart card patient data storage. For more information visit www.lifemedid.com

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