Biometrics and Healthcare Services in Zambia: Implications for Lusaka and Kalomo Districts.

Abstract

With the growing need to integrate technological advancements in all spheres of human endeavours, we discursively interrogate the adoption and adaptation of Biometrics in the Zambian healthcare sector. As our locus, we look to the implications and perspectives of the use of Biometrics at selected healthcare centres in Kalomo and Lusaka districts using a qualitative approach. It is revealed, that in the absence of Biometrics, several implications abound including greater costs for the health provider and the end-user, security concerns as information is lost as well as patient misidentification challenges. When used, paper reveals two interrelated perspective which show that Biometrics have the heuristic potential to store records and make information readily available for both the healthcare provider and the end-user while at the same time occasioning a fast way of service delivery to the general public.