|
July 18, 2006
Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey has announced a pilot in which it will implant in patients with chronic diseases microchips that will provide emergency department staff with access to their medical information in an effort to prevent medical errors, the AP/USA Today reports.
Horizon will partner with Hackensack University Medical Center to implant VeriChip microchips in the arms of 280 patients regularly treated at the hospital. HUMC, which was part of VeriChip's development program, already has the equipment necessary to read the microchips. Horizon hopes the chips will help physicians avoid duplicate medical tests, adverse drug interactions and misdiagnoses, AP/USA Today reports.
Horizon within the next month will begin sending letters to patients with chronic diseases describing the voluntary pilot and inviting them to participate in the two-year program at no cost, the AP/USA Today reports. Dr. Richard Popiel, vice president and chief medical officer at Horizon, said the pilot will help the insurer determine if the program merits expansion (Agovino, AP/USA Today, 7/16).
iHealthBeat is published daily for California HealthCare Foundation by
The Advisory Board Company. © 2004 The Advisory Board Company. All Rights Reserved.
|
