SHERA USHER RFID in Humans

Brief History of RFID RFID can be traced back to WWII Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt developed the first active “identify friend or foe” (IFF) system 1950s and 1960s scientists and academics did research and presented papers explaining how RF energy could be used to identify objects remotely

Brief History of RFID Mario W. Cardullo claims to have received the first U.S. patent for an active RFID tag with rewritable memory on January 23, 1973 a California entrepreneur, Charles Walton, received a patent for a passive transponder Los Alamos National Laboratory was asked by the Energy Department to develop a system for tracking nuclear materials in the 1970s

Brief History of RFID Agricultural Department asked Los Alamos to developed a passive RFID tag to track cows The U.S. FDA approved the use of RFID tags in humans in 2004 VeriChip Corporation’s Health Link and Positive ID

Brief History of RFID

Advantages of Implanting RFID A tiny, passive microchip and a secure, private online database that links you to your personal health record RFID devices can improve the continuity and coordination of health care with a reduction in adverse drug and other medical errors Quick recovery of Alzheimer patients, lost or stolen children/adults

Advantages of Implanting RFID The idea of tagging prison inmates – escapes could be nullified

Disadvantages of Implanting RFID Information stored in the databases would have to be adequately integrated to present clinical information and communication systems, lab databases and pharmacy systems The emergence of competing standards may present problems for hospital staff if a patient’s ID tag is incompatible with the readers/scanners available at a hospital

Disadvantages of Implanting RFID Their small size allows tags to migrate under the skin, making them potentially difficult to extract RFID tags may also cause electromagnetic interference which may cause problems when using electrosurgical devices and defibrillators It has also not yet been determined if RFID tags can affect the results of pharmaceuticals

Disadvantages of Implanting RFID Presently, the security of RFID devices have not been fully established

National Health Insurance Plan The American government has been trying to nationalize health care for over 20 years The US government is looking for something unique that cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with The federal government proposes a “nationwide electronic health care information network for research and disease prevention”

National Health Insurance Plan Certain infrastructure is being implemented in hospitals to incorporate the use of RFID tags A number of hospitals with RFID implanted patients have openly discuss its use for “work flow” and “management purposes” In 2005, G.W. Bush ordered Health and Human Services to create a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure

National Health Insurance Plan Highly influential medical groups propose that the federal government uses its “policy-making” power to advance its use of an electronic healthcare safety network and to abandon the old methods

RFIDs and Border Security RFID implants may decrease passport fraud – the decrease in need for a passport to travel would make it less appealing for criminals to make fraudulent documents to travel RFID implants can decrease lines at ports of entry How RFIDs can reduce illegal entry into a country

RFID Data Security Issues Who will be in charge of RFID tag regulations? Who will have access to information stored on a tag? What standards will exist in the US for the protection of an individual’s personal information? Data on the tag is not encrypted

Current Uses of RFID Implants Night clubs in Barcelona, Spain and Rotterdam, Netherlands to identify their VIP customers, who in turn use it their tags pay for drinks. Mexican Attorney General’s office implanted 18 staff members to control access to a secure data room. Cincinnati security firm CityWatcher.Com’s Chief Executive and two of his employees are chipped to have access to building facilities

Conclusion The need for a nationwide electronic health care information network means that it will be very easy for RFID Industry Stakeholders to convince the federal government that the way to go is to have every US resident microchipped What’s in it for stakeholders? Money from the government for research and development of RFID technology

Discussion Questions Would you microchip you child to protect him or her in the event of a kidnapping? Would you get microchipped so you are able to walk around knowing that your medical information is travelling with you? What could the states do to require their citizens to comply with mandates to be microchipped before receiving health care? Is this ethical of them?

References risks.html risks.html national-healthcare-will-require-national-rfid-chips national-healthcare-will-require-national-rfid-chips ?articleid=1280&zoneid=24 ?articleid=1280&zoneid=