OFID technology can be used by Johnson and Johnson as a stand alone pharmacy prescription card. It can also be used as a universal medical identification card that interacts seamlessly with all facets of the medical community, including primary care physicians, referred specialists, pharmacies, fire dept. paramedics and emergency medical technicians, visiting nurses, and hospitals. In the future, when the device is much reduced in size and has no buttons to push, the OFID medical card could also take the form of a water resistant wristband, ring, or hang from a chain around the neck.
Scenario One: Prescription Medicine OFID medical card
A patient is prescribed a medication(s) by their primary care physician. The physician types (or chooses from a menu) the specific instructions for the prescription into the patient's computer file from the examination room. Before leaving, the front office person downloads the prescription onto a OFID medical card, which is given to the patient to take to the pharmacy. At the pharmacy, the patient presents their card. The pharmacist then uploads information from the card via an infrared docking station into the pharmacy's computer. The customized plug-in on the pharmacist's computer blocks all information from the card except the prescription and insurance data. The pharmacist might then download a dated confirmation on the card that the prescription has been filled. The patient can subsequently use that same OFID medical card for a specified number of refills, which was coded on the card at the time the primary care physician made the prescription. If the patient's doctor upgrades or changes the patient's prescription, the patient can be issued a new card at the doctor's office, or download the new prescription from a secure web site.
Scenario Two: OFID Medical Card
1. The patient is given an OFID medical card at their primary care physician's office. The card contains their full medical information, as well as, their insurance information. Every time the patient has a comprehensive physical, they are issued a new card with a complete update of their medical data. If they are subsequently treated for a specific condition, they could either be given a new card, or the card they already have could be updated with information about the specific condition. (Old cards could be sent to a location for erasure and subsequent reuse.)
2. There is space on the OFID medical card for prescriptions. If a prescription is made, the patient can take the card to their pharmacist to obtain the prescribed drugs.
3. If the primary care physician decides to refer a patient to a specialist, the patient would take their OFID medical card to the specialist's office, where the complete information from the card could be uploaded to the specialist's office computer.
4. If a patient suffers a medical emergency, while at home or away from home, a fire dept. paramedic or emergency medical technician would be able to use the patient's OFID medical card to upload critical medical information about the patient to a laptop or PDA at the scene where they are attending the patient. The card could similarly be used with an on-board computer in the ambulance to communicate with a hospital.
5. If a patient enters a hospital, hospital admission staff could use the patient's OFID medical card to upload the patient's complete medical history and insurance information.
6. A visiting nurse could use the patient's OFID medical card to upload specified information regarding the patient to their laptop. The laptop would have plug-in software that filters what they information they are able to view. This would enable the nurse to monitor that the patient has correct medications and is complying with the physician's instructions for their use.