Copyright Ian Pearson, BT Futurologist
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November 2004
WeÕre all familiar with RFID tags, but would you want one implanted in
your body as a ÔpermanentÕ way of identifying who you are? BTÕs futurologist,
Ian Pearson, explains the benefits on offer É
When you think about
it, you come into contact with tags all the time. YouÕre probably most aware of
the tags used to track things - to prevent theft from shops, track pallets in
warehouses, identify assets in offices and so on. But tags are also used to
track people. Think about the bracelets worn by hospital patients and the passcards
that identify company employees, for example.
Technically, many of
these tags are quite primitive but thatÕs starting to change. Newer Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) tags both identify the item they are associated
with and allow data about it to be carried from place to place Ð the date of
manufacture, the Ôuse byÕ date and storage instructions, for example.
They too can be used
to track and identify people, holding data that will enable a whole range of
improvements to the services we use. And, to save you the need to carry or wear
them, they can even be implanted under your skin as a ÔpermanentÕ way of
identifying who you are.
Take healthcare, for
example. The ÔTalismanÕ bracelets people wear could be enhanced to allow the
emergency services to find out quickly and reliably about pre-existing medical
conditions such as diabetes. And, by linking your identity to central computer
databases, they would also be able to tell the crew about current medications.
That way, even if you are unconscious, an ambulance crew can quickly find out
who you are and how best to treat you.
In maternity wards,
tags could be used to prevent babies being given to the wrong mothers. And used
for all hospital patients as a part of the bracelets they wear, they could help
avoid problems of mistaken identity because of duplicate names, misplaced
record cards or language difficulties. This in turn would help ensure patients
arenÕt given the wrong drugs - a mistake that currently kills hundreds of
people every year. A computer could check the drug against the patientÕs
records every time it was dispensed.
If also given to
doctors and nurses, tags could be used to control access to patient records,
drug stores and hospital facilities. Links between the tags that identify
medical staff, patients and drugs could be the basis of accurate records of
treatment. In the operating theatre, an RFID tag correctly attached to a limb
could even prevent the surgeon from performing the operation on the wrong limb
by raising alarms or directly disabling equipment!
At home, RFID tags
that include sensor technology able to monitor blood chemistry could be used to
allow clinics to check their patientsÕ condition by phone, eliminating many
hospital appointments. Patients would simply have to hold the tag close to a
reader linked to their phone line.
And looking even
further ahead, you could imagine a new breed of ÔsmartÕ drugs that incorporate
electronic devices to ensure they are fed into the patientÕs bloodstream at the
right rate Ð again, linked to computers and RFID tags.
So with opportunities
like these on offer, would I prefer to wear a tagged bracelet or have one
implanted? I guess that depends on how proven the technology is and the
precautions available to stop data about me being used for the wrong purposes.
But you can certainly see from these examples why RFID tags are set to play a
key role in our future.
{588 words}