Over 90 per cent of people living in Northern Ireland are happy for iris scanning technology to be used in medical admissions when they are unconscious, disorientated or confused, to correctly identify them and allow for their relatives to be contacted.
That’s according to a survey carried out by biometric technology company The Lava Group.
Faster diagnosis times and increased treatment options were listed as priorities by the 134 respondents, who all believed that technology would lead to greater benefits for the health sector and its patients in the next five years.
Almost 100 per cent of people called for greater investment in technological innovation for the health service.
The survey also revealed that upwards of 30 per cent of people were not aware that technological solutions are already being used in Northern Ireland to support independent living, allow patients to monitor their own vital signs, provide professionals with seamless access to records and make surgery sign in processes more efficient.
Gareth Morrison, CEO of The Lava Group said: “This survey was designed to see what appetite there is in the region for connected health solutions and we are pleased to see that not only are people aware of the benefits it could bring, but they are also looking forward to a future where it will play a key part in making our health service more effective and more efficient.
“As we have recently partnered with RightPatient in Georgia to bring a new product to Northern Ireland which is designed to increase patient safety we were particularly interested to see that 95% of people are happy for iris scanning technology to be used in the patient identification process. This step forward will see our company introducing biometric software into the health service to ensure that those who are unconscious, disorientated or confused can be accurately identified.”
Mr Morrison added: “Our company is developing several products which could have a positive impact on the lives of many people in Northern Ireland and we are looking forward to bringing them to market. There are so many medical problems which we believe can benefit from technological innovation and we are working hard to continue to see progress in this area.”
The survey was carried out between 1st June 2016 and 15th June 2016.