Patient Secure Identity

Patient Secure Identity

Security In the Palm Of Your Hand

BayCare is proud to introduce a new way to register at our facilities using biometric technology. This cutting-edge system scans the unique vein patterns on a person's hand and uses that image to greatly streamline the patient identification process.

How It Works

Called Patient Secure Identity, the system uses near infrared light to map an image of the vein pattern in a person's palm. The digital image is then converted into a number that correlates with the patient's medical record.

Upon registration, patients place their right palm into a scanning device which scans the hand to capture an image of the blood flowing through the veins. The hand rests palm-side down just above the scanner with the veins appearing as a unique black pattern on a light background. Then, the image is scanned, converted into a number and registered into our system. From that point forward, the patient can be identified by his or her unique vein pattern, minimizing the need to present other identifying information, such as a driver's license and Social Security number, each time they register at one of our hospitals.


There is no cost to patients enrolling with Patient Secure Identity. Patients who choose not to participate will be registered using the current method at each visit by providing name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and other information.

Patient Benefits

Patient Secure Identity can benefit patients in several ways, such as:

  • Improved speed for patient registration
  • Minimizes the amount of personal information communicated verbally or through forms during registration
  • Improves accuracy of patient identification
  • Helps prevent misuse of Social Security numbers and insurance cards
  • Rapid identification in emergencies


A team member can help you with registration when you arrive at a hospital or facility that has the Patient Secure Identity system already available.

Why Palm Veins?

The vein pattern on a hand is unique to each person. In fact, vein patterns can be 100 times more distinctive than fingerprints. In addition, once a patient is registered, his or her identity can be verified with a painless, hassle-free scan that takes only a few moments. Banks in Japan use palm identification for ATMs instead of personal identification (PIN) numbers.