Government-Mandated Microchip Implantation Government-Mandated Chip Implantation in Citizens:

Technological Breakthrough or Privacy Disaster?

Government-Mandated Chip Implantation in Citizens:

Technological Breakthrough or Privacy Disaster?

In a world in which new technology turns over nearly every day, individuals around the world, and particularly in the United States, continually jump at the chance to integrate these new technologies into their own lives. Generally, we as Americans view technology as a convenience, created to make our lives easier. From GPS systems in our cars to GPS systems on our children, it seems that no technology is off-limits. Perhaps, though, our continual interest in these technologies lies in our ability to take them or leave them. Some may view the placement of a GPS tracking chip in a child's coat as a dream come true, while others may find it excessive. How then, would a technologically-obsessed nation react if our choice to consume was taken away?

Such may be the case if the government passes a mandate that would involve the implanting of an electronic health record (EHR) into every U.S. citizen. This procedure would involve inserting a chip or radio frequency identification device (RFID) into an individual, which would contain all medical information. Access to this complete and accurate health information would help reduce issues pertaining to patient safety and identification. The idea of implanting such microchips into the human body is an idea that stems as far back as the field of science and technology itself. In...

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On first glance, such an idea seems revolutionary. However, certain privacy issues come into play, which transfer the concept of such chip-implantation from revolutionary to unethical. In beginning to understand which route is the correct route, one must weigh the pros and cons of such a proposed mandate.

Pros and Cons

The utilization of such technology in terms of the medical field is one that has proved successful in its smaller-scale implementations in years passed. Coray Tate, clinical research director at KLAS, notes, "It's widely agreed upon that such barcoding at the bedside does improve patient safety . . . that's been proven without any doubt." (Miliard, 2011, p. 1). The success that has been seen on a smaller-scale hospital level has the capacity to transform the way the healthcare system in the United States is run. Imagine, for instance, a situation in which an individual requires emergency medical care. This individual is on a business trip, far from the comfort of their own home community, and regular medical provider. Upon reaching the emergency room, doctors and caregivers need only scan this individual's medical history located on his RFID before administering drugs that are…