Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center was able to access the medical records for an injured New Jersey police officer after scanning his implanted radio frequency identification-based chip. This is the first time that a patient implanted with the device, from Delray Beach, Calif.-based VeriChip Corp., was treated at a hospital that could read it, according to the vendor.

For about a year, Hackensack University Medical Center has been using the vendor's readers to scan every emergency department patient for the chip.

Sgt. William Koretsky came to the hospital after sustaining head, neck and back injuries after a high-speed chase. Koretsky had the chip implanted in his upper right arm by Hackensack physicians. He consented to having his identity and medical information linked to it so physicians could quickly access it.

Each chip contains a 16-digit identification number assigned by the vendor. Physicians can type the number into the vendor's Web-based database to access identity, medical records, or family contact information previously given by the patient. The numbers also can be mapped to a patient's medical record number.

Originally reported in HDM July 27 issue.

Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center was able to access the medical records for an injured New Jersey police officer after scanning his implanted radio frequency identification-based chip. This is the first time that a patient implanted with the device, from Delray Beach, Calif.-based VeriChip Corp., was treated at a hospital that could read it, according to the vendor.

For about a year, Hackensack University Medical Center has been using the vendor's readers to scan every emergency department patient for the chip.

Sgt. William Koretsky came to the hospital after sustaining head, neck and back injuries after a high-speed chase. Koretsky had the chip implanted in his upper right arm by Hackensack physicians. He consented to having his identity and medical information linked to it so physicians could quickly access it.

Each chip contains a 16-digit identification number assigned by the vendor. Physicians can type the number into the vendor's Web-based database to access identity, medical records, or family contact information previously given by the patient. The numbers also can be mapped to a patient's medical record number.

Originally reported in HDM July 27 issue.