Patent ID: 8583454

Claim:
A patient identity verification system comprising: a first controller associated with a medical facility; a memory associated with the first controller; a second controller associated with an information collection center and adapted to be in communication with the first controller; a network interface; and a photograph database; wherein the photograph database includes photographs that are verifiable as being associated with a patient, the photographs being defined as official photographs, and wherein the photograph database is accessible using the network interface over a network; wherein the first controller is configured to transmit a signal that includes a request for an official photograph associated with a patient to the second controller responsive to an occurrence of an event; wherein the official photograph associated with the patient is identified within the photograph database; wherein the second controller is configured to retrieve the official photograph from the photograph database and transmits the official photograph associated with the patient to the first controller responsive to the signal so that the official photograph is viewable on a user interface; wherein a copy of the official photograph is stored on the memory to define a stored official photograph; wherein the first controller is configured to facilitate verification that the stored official photograph remains an accurate depiction of the patient associated therewith after a period of time during which the physical appearance of the patient associated with the stored official photograph has changed by enabling the comparison of the stored official photograph to the current official photograph on the photograph database; and wherein a patient identity is verified by the performance of a comparison of the official photograph of the patient with the physical appearance of an individual purporting to be the patient.