A volunteer assists patients with the self-service machines. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
Renji Hospital Jiading Branch in Shanghai's Jiading district has introduced a facial recognition system to streamline medical services, addressing common patient issues like forgotten IDs, dead phone batteries, and smartphone inexperience, especially among the elderly.
On Nov 27, a local resident surnamed Wang used the facial recognition payment system. "I forgot my insurance card but was able to register and pay with a quick facial scan," he said.
Cao Liou, executive director of the hospital, explained that the hospital's self-service facial recognition terminal eliminates the need for physical insurance cards and phone codes. Patients can easily complete the registration and insurance payment process with facial scans, enjoying the same benefits as using their physical card.
Security concerns have also been alleviated due to a combination of facial recognition, real-name verification, and real-person authentication, preventing fraudulent use and protecting insurance funds.
In addition to the manual payment counters, the hospital has also added more self-service machines to reduce waiting times and improve patient flow. "Our system uses IoT medical service terminals for facial scanning, enhancing healthcare accessibility," Cao noted.
Patients with activated electronic medical insurance certificates via Alipay can use the service immediately, while others can activate it on-site by entering their ID number.