FDA approves implantable chip to access medical records
BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7474.1064 (Published 04 November 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:1064All rapid responses
Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed. Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles. The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not including references and author details. We will no longer post responses that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
I have no evidence to suggest they are - although that is of course
not necessary if you have a certain world view. Hence my reason for
mentioning the comments on an anti-vaccination website.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Sir
Is John Rumbold saying the chips are not part of the "Big Brother
state apparatus"?
Regards
John H.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
I think the most importnant thing to do in a major accident is to
stabilise the patient. Patients previous history has very little role,
when he has been involved in a major accident. By the time patient is
stabilised froma major trauma, I am sure we the doctors would have bought
some time to get more information about the patient.
This way, the site of the grain does not really matter!!!
Competing interests:
medicine
Competing interests: No competing interests
I note in previous responses the idea that the Verichip would be
useful for identifying the remains (well, the right arm) of individuals in
fatalities. But for severe trauma (e.g. loss of right arm in industrial
meat grinder), where the patient is unconscious, in emergency care, and
where the utility of the Verichip should be most apparent, then the arm
seems a vulnerable location.
So, where is the most enduring place on our bodies to put this grain
of identity? Is there a study that has identified the site of least
disturbance in a survivable trauma, balanced with it also being easily
accessible for scanning?
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Prima facie, several issues come to my mind that I would like to
share in this rapid response.
1) Since it is a chip, would the data be erased if the patient
undergoes an MRI scan? If not erased can it be corrupted? To dissect this
further, what precautions do the companies recommend for the client so
that the 16 digit number is not corrupted (Once in the body do the
companies guarrantee against any type of assault, obviously not).
2) The service is offered for a lifelong (so I infer) fees of $10 a
month [1-2]!!! For the Global Verichip Registry Subscriber to provide the
records, such a fees is charged which may be billed to his credit card
[1]. What if someone misses his credit card payment (which is NOT UNCOMMON
- thats how the credit card companies are making lots of profits) and then
meets with an accident. Since the monthly installment has not reached the
verichip company will they release the records for this
"freebie"/defaulter? If no, then what it menas for the poor patient is
that the payment of $10 a month till this time has gone down the drain-
your records are not accesible when you needed them the most- just for a
$10 default your investment ($150 + {so many months x $10}) has been
wasted? I would prefer a longer duration- an annual fees or a once for a
20 year (life time of a verichip) fees.
3) The onus of providing and updating medical information is on the
patient [1-2]. How much information (how many bytes of data)is the company
willing to store for the $10 a month? Will it include the gigabytes of an
electronic patient record? If no, then how will the lay people decide what
all information is medically vital? Vital Information ranges in size and
type of data from a visual record of the ECG to an antidepressant started
yesterday. Further, if anybody other than the patient will decide, then
what will be his/her legal position? To my mind, a medical record is
logistically and electronically complex thing, besides being a legal
minefield.
I dont intend to be a critic or a spoilsort. Kudos to the people who
have painstakingly developed a potentially milestone technology. But since
we are dealing with a sensitive, critical issue like life and death
scenario in an emergecy room, I expect the nitty gritty must have been
worked out, and hopefully worked out well.
References:
1. http://www.adsx.com/faq/verichipfaq.html
2.
http://www.digitalangelcorp.com/about_pressreleases.asp?RELEASE_ID=35
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
this is a reprint of rapid response i wrote 2 years ago :electronic
identification
http://bmj.com/cgi/eletters/325/7369/847#26406, 20 Oct 2002
"of course this letter is off the mark as far as this article is
concerned. however, i wish to raise some related issues. there appears to
be a need for identifying remains of people more and more in this violent
world of ours. we hear of accidents, bombs, terrorist violence, suicide
squads etc, where one is left with crucial task of identifying bodies
which are so disfigured, or completely evaporated. it seems it would be a
good idea if some full proof method is devised where irrespective of
condition of remains of body electronic identification would still be
possible. one thing that comes to my mind is a fire proof electronic chip
being inserted in the body probably under skin which would carry all
details of identification akin to passport.the recent wto attack or
bombing in bali have brought the problem of identification to the fore."
any comments??
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Radiofrequency identification(RFID) chips are the cause of much
concern in some quarters. The FDA approval has been commented on by anti-
vaccination sites for example. RFID chips have been deemed part of the Big
Brother state apparatus that will be used to monitor the population.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: Re: Re: RFIDs
Sir
Is John Rumbold saying he has a certain world view - one wonders why
he was visiting an 'anti -vaccination' website for information? The
website reference could be useful
so readers might form their own opinion - depending on their world view of
course..
Regards
John H.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests