Diabetic Patients to Get RFID Chips
VeriChip Corporation and the Independent Dialysis Foundation (IDF) announced plans to provide 500 dialysis patients with implanted microchips linking to patient medical records. A press release describing the effort was published by VeriChip.
Through the partnership, VeriChip will provide IDF patients with RFID- enabled chips, the VeriMed Patient Identification System. VeriChip received approval from the FDA for their implantable, passive device in 2004. The group is using this opportunity to evaluate efficacy of the VeriMed Patient Identification System.
Following one year of implantation, the team will analyze the following outcomes: utility of information provided by the chips at the point of care, patient acceptance rates, and the incidence of adverse events related to RFID implantation.
Testing the tool in the diabetic population is driven by the higher use of emergency care in this group as well as the increased incidence of co-morbidities. This patient population is also more likely to use multiple medications, an important consideration in treatment planning to evaluate potential drug interactions. These factors create a care situation wherein previous care records are all the more critical.
IDF operates independent dialysis centers and is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the State of Maryland. The organization is affiliated with the University of Maryland and has non-profit status.
Related stories:
- AMA Comments on Implications of RFID
- AMA Endorses Implanted RFID Records
- LifeSaver EMR May Be a Lifesaver
- Implanted Data Chips About to Be Available in Some DC Hospitals
August 17, 2007 Related topics: Partnerships & Consortia, Quality, Safety, Errors