The Electronic Health Records (EHR) specialist Therap Services is now allowing users to sign in into its mobile app with Biometric Authentication. The new feature takes advantage of the sensors that now come standard in many smartphones, and is intended to give clients a more secure and more convenient alternative to passwords.
The Biometric Authentication option will only be available in the Therap App for iOS and Android devices. End users will need to log into the app with their password to enable the Biometric Authentication option. Those who do so will be asked to go through a few simple steps to set up the feature on their devices, at which point they will be able to log in with only a face or a fingerprint recognition scan. Users can also log into the Therap web app to complete the activation process.
Of course, users will need to have either a fingerprint sensor or a facial recognition camera in order to use either authentication method. They similarly need to configure that modality on their smartphone before using it in the Therap app. The feature is entirely optional, but those who opt in will be able to log into the app without needing to key in a password.
Therap itself primarily provides EHR software for home care and long-term service care environments. The app allows care professionals to view patient data remotely, and to communicate with other members of the team. In that regard, care workers can use the app to leave notes, set care goals, and handle other administrative functions. The use of biometric authentication helps keep that data secure, in a manner that is compliant with the requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act.
Therap is not the first EHR provider to use biometrics to protect its platform. RxSafeEHR adopted fingerprint authentication all the way back in 2016, while Imprivata has encouraged the use of contactless biometrics for patient identification to cut down on clinical errors during the pandemic.
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