Healthcare data company Patientory Inc. and IrisGuard have announced the integration of IrisGuard’s biometric authentication technology with the Patientory App to help secure patient data and prevent prescription fraud.

The Patientory App is a HIPAA compliant health information storage and management tool based on the company’s PTOYNet blockchain network. The integration of IrisGuard’s EyePay software adds iris recognition as an enhanced security layer to the app, and EyePay’s global database could potentially be leveraged for other healthcare services using Patientory software, according to the announcement. EyePay has been used by UN agencies including the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The companies say 20 percent of patient records are not matched accurately within the same healthcare system, according to the Pew Research Center, which creates security risks and extra cost.

“Patient identification is a growing problem in today’s healthcare system,” said Chrissa McFarlane, CEO and founder of Patientory, Inc. “This technology can help providers identify an individual with unparalleled accuracy, through iris-recognition and data matching. And because it’s verified on the blockchain, it’s scalable without sacrificing data security – which is one of the main problems with our current healthcare-data infrastructure.”

The technology is “particular important, given that one out of three Americans had their health care data stolen or hacked recently,” according to IrisGuard CEO Imad Malhas.

Patientory expects to conduct pharmaceutical clinical trials with the integrated technology during 2019.

Last year IrisGuard launched the EyePay Phone at GSMA 360 Mobile in Kigali, Rwanda.