SAN DIEGO -- San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare has begun using palm scanning technology to identify patients as they check in for appointments or are admitted to the hospital, it was announced Wednesday.

The biometric patient identification technology, called PatientSecure, uses a hand scanning device that reads a patient's unique palm vein pattern, which is 100 times more accurate than a fingerprint, according to Sharp HealthCare.

"PatientSecure is a nonintrusive and very precise method of identifying patients, ensuring they are matched to their own personal medical records and protecting them against medical fraud and identity theft," said Dan Gross, executive vice president of hospital operations for Sharp HealthCare.

After the patient's hand is scanned, he or she is assigned an identification number, which is connected to personal information and medical records, according to Sharp.

After completing the initial scan, patients only have to provide their date of birth and scan their hand whenever they check in for an appointment or are admitted to the hospital.

Sharp HealthCare is one of a dozen health care providers in the nation to use PatientSecure and the only one in Southern California, according to Gross.